By Jack Flintham,Matthew Abbott
Copyright birminghammail
Wayne Rooney has conceded that his stint at Birmingham City was an ‘absolute car crash’ after identifying when he realised things would not work out at St Andrew’s . After hanging up his boots, Rooney transitioned into management but struggled to mirror his playing achievements from the touchline. Derby County , DC United and Plymouth Argyle all gave him opportunities. However, the former Manchester United forward’s period at Blues concluded most disastrously. In barely three months, Rooney secured just two victories before being swiftly dismissed at the start of January, having been denied the chance to bring in any players of his choosing. During a candid discussion with former United team-mate Rio Ferdinand on his ‘Rio Presents’ YouTube channel , the 39-year-old acknowledged his experience with Blues was particularly dire. “I think I took very difficult jobs,” Rooney said. “Obviously, I was at Derby [as a player] and then I went in as manager, and then they went into administration. “Then I went out to the US and managed DC United, which people actually think and talk about as if it were a big failure. DC United finished bottom in the three seasons before I went in, and then we missed out on playoffs by a point, and then when I left, they went back to the bottom, and people don’t talk about that. “Then I went to Birmingham , which was an absolute car crash from day one, to be honest. The fans never said that. “I remember we played Middlesbrough away in the first game, we lost 1-0 in the 90th minute. Then we played Hull at home. “I remember I walked out and my first game at home, and I’m stood there, and the players are shaking hands, and I’m over there. And there was a Birmingham fan behind me: ‘Get back to America, you fat c***.’ “I turned around, and I was laughing. I turned around, I was like, ‘Give me a chance’. “And so that was just never right at the time when I went in. It was just never… It wasn’t a good fit.” Rooney’s remarks follow co-owner Tom Brady ‘s questioning of his commitment in the technical area. Speaking in the Amazon Prime documentary Brady and The Blues: Birmingham City, which was released last month, the NFL legend was captured telling business manager Ben Rawitz: “I’m a little worried about our head coach’s work ethic.” Following his dismissal from his latest position at Plymouth on New Year’s Eve, Rooney’s focus has shifted away from the dugout. The former England captain is now concentrating on a broadcasting career after joining the newly restructured Match of the Day. Rooney also co-hosts a BBC podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show, with Kelly Somers and Kae Kurd. He has made appearances on the Stick to Football podcast with former United colleagues Gary Neville and Roy Keane , and has been part of Amazon Prime’s coverage of the Champions League .
