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Wayne Rooney has not given up on his dream of becoming a Premier League manager and has picked Everton and Manchester United as his dream clubs.
Rooney spent a total of 16 years at Goodison Park and Old Trafford as a player and admitted he would love to return to both clubs as a manager, despite a dismal spell at Birmingham seeing him sacked after just three months in charge.
The Manchester United great replaced John Eustace in October but was sacked last month after winning just two of his 15 games in charge and losing nine.
Birmingham were sixth in the Championship when Rooney was appointed, but by the time he was sacked they were just six points above the relegation zone.
But Rooney, who won just 14 of his 53 games at DC United before taking over at St Andrew’s, insisted the early setbacks in his managerial career had not rattled him.
Wayne Rooney has not yet given up on his dream of becoming a Premier League manager
Rooney was sacked by Birmingham after just three months in power
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“I definitely want to get back into management,” he said on BBC One, where he acted as pundit for United’s FA Cup fifth round tie at Nottingham Forest on Wednesday evening.
‘The aim is to ultimately be able to perform in the Premier League. Manchester United or Everton are the dream jobs, but it is a process.
‘Hopefully I will have a chance at one of the top jobs in the next ten years.’
Rooney’s appointment was a big gamble by the American consortium Knighthead, which included NFL great Tom Brady, who took over the club last summer.
The experiment failed spectacularly and the former Everton star admitted the ‘timing wasn’t right’ for him to take over at St Andrew’s.
“What happened in Birmingham was a setback, but I’m a fighter and I want to get back to it.
You know that as a manager, part of the job is getting fired and having setbacks, and it’s all about how you get back on track.
Rooney named Everton and United – with whom he won twelve major trophies – as the clubs he would like to manage
Rooney started his career at Everton and returned to Goodison Park in 2017
I’ve had time to think and know what to do next time. I’ve never signed a player for money before, so that would be fun next time!’
I’ve had time to think and know what to do next time. I’ve never signed a player for money before, so that would be fun next time!’
However, Rooney insisted he knew he would never win over the fans.
“Maybe the timing wasn’t right when I went to Birmingham, the fans didn’t accept me from day one,” he said.
The former England striker expressed similar sentiments during his speech in the latest episode of the Stick to Football podcast with Sky bet last week.
“The Birmingham City fans didn’t accept me from day one,” he said.
Rooney said he felt he was never accepted by Birmingham fans during his three months in charge
“John Eustace had done well, to be honest, but they made the change and asked me to come in.
‘I went in, but I knew straight away that I wasn’t accepted by the fans.
‘I think it was more because John Eustace had done well. They were in sixth place when he was fired.
“If you’re a Birmingham fan, for the last 10 years they’ve reached the play-offs – I know it was early in the season – and then the manager gets sacked.