Ipswich Town: Championship rivals Birmingham City name new manager
One of Ipswich Town’s Championship rivals have chosen a Manchester United legend to become their new manager.
Birmingham City have appointed Wayne Rooney as their new boss, signing a three-and-a-half-year deal to replace John Eustace, who was controversially sacked earlier this week.
Eustace worked tirelessly to steer the club to safety last amid off-field issues that saw them named as the bookies favourites for relegation. The Blues’ new owners looked to back him over the summer, and he seemingly repaid their faith by guiding them to sixth in the Championship.
However, they surprisingly opted to remove him from his role just days after a 3-1 win against West Brom, citing the need for the board and the manager to be ‘fully aligned on the importance of implementing a winning mentality’.
They’ve since turned to Rooney, who left his previous role at DC United amidst continuous rumours linking him to the role at St Andrew’s despite the fact Eustace was still in charge.
The 37-year-old boasts 237 goals in 569 Premier League appearances, with most of those coming in a hugely successful spell at Old Trafford, where he won five league titles.
He went on to manage Derby County during the latter stages of their time in the Championship, before returning to the US to take over at former club DC United.
His first game in charge of Birmingham will come away at Middlesbrough, where he’ll face fellow Manchester United legend Michael Carrick in the opposite dugout.
Ipswich will travel to the Second City to face Rooney’s side on November 4th, with the return leg at Portman Road set to be played on February 24th.
