Wayne Rooney 'plotting return to management in Saudi Arabia' after Birmingham flop

Posted Saturday, February 03, 2024 by Dailystar.co.uk

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney is reportedly keen to manage in Saudi Arabia following his horror tenure at Birmingham City that lasted just three months

Wayne Rooney 'plotting return to management in Saudi Arabia' after Birmingham flop
The England great is enjoying a holiday in Dubai with his wife Coleen (Image: instagram/@waynerooney)

Wayne Rooney is said to be ready for a return to management - with a reported interest in Saudi Arabia.

The Manchester United great has been enjoying a holiday in Dubai with wife Coleen following his short-lived tenure at Birmingham City which resulted in his sacking last month. Rooney, 38, won just two of his 15 games in the Championship before he was dismissed and replaced with former Middlesbrough manager Tony Mowbray.

Having been at the helm of three different clubs, the former England great is reportedly ready for a return to management with his eye set on Saudi Arabia, according to The Sun.

They claim the ex-striker is keen to make the move to the Middle East and follow in the footsteps of his fellow Liverpool native Steven Gerrard who currently manages Al-Ettifaq.

On Rooney's apparent desire to join the football revolution in Saudi Arabia, a source said: "Wayne’s time in charge at Birmingham hasn’t put him off the idea of management. In fact, he believes he learned a lot of skills which he thinks will hold him in good stead in the future.

"Wayne realises he still has a lot to prove, but he believes he has what it takes to be a manager and would love the chance to manage a team in Saudi Arabia. He loved his time managing in America and thinks he could transfer a lot of those skills to the Arabian league."

The league has several top talents including the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and Aymeric Laporte. However, ex-Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson left the nation after just six months to join Ajax, citing a failure for his young family to settle.

A figure of Rooney's stature will do well to give the league even more validity, according to the source. "Having Wayne run a team over there would put more eyeballs on the League and give it a boost," they added.

"The reputation has taken a bit of a knock since Jordan Henderson quit. Rooney managing there would be a sign that the League is one to be taken seriously."