'What they should want' - Did Tom Brady & Birmingham learn Wayne Rooney lesson or will another managerial 'name' be sought by Blues' American owners?

Back in October 2023, with American owners now calling the shots at St Andrew’s, the decision was taken to part with John Eustace’s services and hand managerial reins in the West Midlands to Manchester United legend Rooney. He lasted just 83 days and 15 games at the helm.

Birmingham’s slide towards League One was set in motion during that forgettable tenure, but Chris Davies now has them sat at the top of the third tier table and well on course to secure an immediate return to the Championship. The ultimate goal is to clamber back into the Premier League at some point.

It remains to be seen how that journey will play out, with Nigel Winterburn - who started out with the Blues and was speaking in association with William Hill Vegas - telling GOAL when asked if another so-called ‘name’ will be sought: "What they should want is someone that they believe can progress their club - whether it is a player that has been big in his time and has proven himself through the coaching ranks, or whether it is somebody that started out in the lower leagues but has progressed up and is doing a really good job with different teams.

"The answer should probably be the old-school managers that have progressed through the leagues and have earned the right to coach at the higher levels where some of the players that have finished of late are, maybe just because of their name, jumping into fairly big jobs."

Ex-England international Winterburn added: "They have to prove themselves. As we’re seeing at the moment, coaching is completely different to playing, it’s a different mindset. Just because you were a great player doesn’t mean you are going to be a fantastic manager or coach. There are a whole lot of different things to deal with and one or two of those big players are seeing at times how difficult it can be."

On the back of leaving Birmingham, Rooney has endured another testing spell at Plymouth - with that stint in Devon incorporating just 25 matches. The Blues appear to heading in the right direction once more after taking a few backwards steps, with NFL legend Brady on hand to offer words of advice when required as part of his role on the club’s board.