Wayne Rooney kicks off Rangers manager domino effect with recent decision
Wayne Rooney has left his role as manager of MLS side DC United, sparking rumours of a domino effect which could see Birmingham City boss John Eustace make the move to join Rangers.
After the Ibrox club parted ways with Michael Beale, speculation ramped up over who would take over, and Eustace was a name mentioned as a contender even before the Englishman was dismissed [Mirror, 7 September].
The speculation at the time was that should Eustace leave Birmingham to make the move to Glasgow, Rooney would be the first choice to replace him. Rooney’s exit from DC United may have put the wheels in motion for that move to take place.
If the new American owners at the Blues decide that Rooney is the man they want to take the club forward, as it has been widely reported that they have lined him up to take over [Mirror, 8 October], Rangers could find themselves with a free run at Eustace.
The Mirror reports Eustace has gained attention from Premier League clubs as well as Rangers, but given the ongoing manager situation at Ibrox, they would be the only club prepared to make the move at this time.
Rooney himself remained tight-lipped when asked about a potential new role elsewhere while his contract dispute was ongoing in America, but since his exit, he has claimed he doesn’t know what will come next in his career.
Things look to be falling into place perfectly if Rangers do make the move to bring the Birmingham City boss north of the border, but speculation on that front is likely to continue as the club continue their assessment of potential options ahead of the big decision.
Eustace distanced himself from the talks of a move to Ibrox, claiming his sole focus was on managing Birmingham [The Sun, 14 September], but if the board get tempted by the high-profile name of Rooney, he could wind up as Rangers manager before too long.
In other Rangers news, Gary Keown has slammed Steven Davis after his recent “insulting” comments.