It had been years since the press room at St. Andrew's, Birmingham City's stadium, had been as full as it was on Thursday for the presentation of Wayne Rooney as the manager of Blues.
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Rooney told the gathered press what he wants to see from his team, saying, "I want to have brave players; I've asked for that at my previous clubs as well. I want them to take risks. Yes, they will make mistakes, that's part of football. I want my players to play forward. We have incredibly talented attackers, and we need to get them on the ball. It's a certain mentality," Rooney explained.
"I want my team to play the way I did. Hard work, dedication, taking risks, creativity. It's also a style of play that is exciting and entertaining for the fans. But ultimately, it's all about winning. I want that mentality not only in the first team but throughout the entire club. This group is currently in sixth place, and there is more potential."
Where does he want it to lead? Rooney doesn't mince words. "I want this club to reach the Premier League. We have a lot of work to do. We will build everything to achieve that in the near future," Rooney said at the press conference. His assistants will be Ashley Cole and John O'Shea, both of whom have roles with the national teams of England and Ireland, respectively. They will continue with their national team duties.
Birmingham is currently sixth in the Championship, and Rooney's debut will be against an old Manchester United acquaintance: a visit to the Riverside Stadium to face Middlesbrough, managed by Michael Carrick, awaits them next week. Birmingham was relegated from the Premier League in 2011, the same year they won the League Cup. Since then, the club has primarily resided in the lower ranks of the second tier of English football.
Updated: 04:31, 13 Oct 2023
