- Wayne Rooney was sacked as Birmingham manager in January.
- Rooney has been enjoying his new life away from the dugout ever since.
- Phil Foden reveals what it's really like to play under Pep Guardiola in our 'Everything Kick Off' special. Listen on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts
Wayne Rooney has been in the headlines for his struggles in football management in recent years, but he is now enjoying a new life away from the dugout.
The Manchester United legend retired from playing in 2021 and has since held managerial positions at several clubs, all of which ultimately failed.
Rooney insists he intends to return to management in the near future, but has since undertaken various ventures.
From appearing as a TV pundit to joining an online football team and even hinting at a future in boxing, Rooney seems to be embracing it all.
Here, Mail Sport takes a look at the United legend's exploits away from the dugout.
Before discussing Rooney's post-managerial career, it is important to understand how the 38-year-old got into this position.
Since retiring in 2021, Rooney has managed MLS side Derby, DC United and had an ill-fated spell at Championship club Birmingham City.
The Manchester United great replaced John Eustace at Birmingham in October 2023, but was sacked in January after winning just two of his 15 games in charge.
Birmingham were sixth in the Championship when Rooney was appointed, but were just six points above the relegation zone at the time of Rooney's sacking.
Rooney's appointment was a big gamble by American consortium Knighthead, which includes NFL great Tom Brady and took over the club last summer.
The experiment backfired spectacularly, with the former Everton star admitting that “the timing wasn't right” for him to take over at St Andrews.
In February, Rooney said: “What happened in Birmingham was a setback, but I'm a fighter and I want to get back into that situation.”
“I definitely want to go back into management. My goal is to eventually manage in the Premier League, with Manchester United or Everton being my dream job.
“I hope I have a chance to get a top job within the next 10 years.”
It's clear the United and England legend is keen to get back into the dugout, but first Rooney has embarked on a number of adventures.
Primarily, the 38-year-old has featured as a pundit on multiple broadcasters including Sky Sports, TNT Sport and BBC One in recent months.
And, similar to his style of play during his career on the pitch, Rooney rarely shied away from a challenge while appearing in these matches.
In a recent appearance on Sky Sports, Rooney told Virgil van Dijk and Liverpool to “keep going” following the Merseyside derby defeat.
“The Liverpool players will want to go tomorrow because if you lose a derby game you want the game to end quickly,” he said.
“I've heard many times this season about Liverpool's 12:30 kick-off. Keep it going, it's part of your job. They should be ready to play.”
Similarly, during his review of United's win over Everton in March, he claimed he had no sympathy for Marcus Rashford's struggles in 2023-24.
“To be honest, not too much,” Rooney told TNT Sports. He is in the privileged position of playing for Man United.
“He's the only player I believe can reach my scoring records. I hope he can, but he needs to be consistent. He's having his best season and I don’t have one, so I have to find some form and be a leader.”
The 38-year-old was due to appear on the famous BBC show Match of the Day this month, but was forced to quit and was replaced by Martin Keown.
The former Manchester United striker said he had to leave the show after picking up an injury while on holiday.
Rooney wrote in X: “So disappointed not to be making my debut on the iconic @BBCMOTDshow tonight, but it's something I've wanted to do since I was a kid.
“Unfortunately, I injured my back while on vacation with my family, but I look forward to being part of the team in the near future.”
The 38-year-old has also clearly made spending time with his family a priority. Rooney and his wife Coleen have four children, Kai, 13, Clay, 10, Kit, seven, and Cath, five.
United academy star Kai appears to have inherited his legendary father's golden touch in front of goal, recently scoring three goals and providing two assists for the Under-14s.
Despite suffering a back injury during the holidays, Rooney is clearly enjoying his time away from football, although he has returned in some capacity after joining the online team.
This month, Rooney was announced as the latest star signing for EA Sports FC Pro Club Garth N. Turf, founded by YouTubers Angry Ginge and Yung Philly.
Rooney made his club debut, but it wasn't his game skills that caught the attention, or perhaps the ears, during the live broadcast.
After the play, Rooney expressed his desire to play again in the future, saying: [sic] I want you to come back, I will come back again. ” Yong Philly immediately answered, “Yes.”
But the 38-year-old was soon jokingly told by Angry Ginge (real name Morgan Birtwistle): Please don't do anything terrible again.
Rooney responded with his own nimble jab, retorting: “Oh, you ginger bastard!”
Just a week later, Rooney immediately responded to a nasty comment from a livestream chat, causing his teammates to burst into laughter again.
“For some reason I feel like I’m being called ‘you fat grandma,’ cheers, bro,” said an angry Zinji. “Obviously there are people who are not very happy about Real Madrid's victory.''
Rooney was quick to respond, with the 38-year-old deadpanning the comment: “I don't think that was directed at you.”
According to a 2004 national newspaper article, the 38-year-old was targeted at times during his career by opposing fans for chanting during matches.
In 2004, Gina McCarrick, then 37, and her grandmother Patricia Tierney, then 48, known as “Old Slapper” for wearing a rubber catsuit, were arrested in a Liverpool brothel in 2004. It was also claimed that they slept together.
Rooney has hinted at a return to football, but there are also suggestions that the former talisman could move on to a new sport entirely.
Rooney has been interested in boxing for many years and has hinted that he will eventually make his in-ring debut with KSI's Misfits Boxing.
In February, he claimed that “several people” had lobbied for him to swap the football pitch for a ring after he was sacked by Birmingham City on January 2.
Gary Neville asked stick to football Rooney teased fans if he plans to fight on his podcast. “You never know,” he said.
“They have reached out and asked questions, but at the moment I want to focus on getting back into management and not boxing.”
“They contacted us to fight, yeah. There were a few, but obviously the Misfits were in. [touch] That became the news. ”
That same month, KSI claimed that Rooney sent him a message in the early morning asking for a boxing match.
He revealed:[Rooney text] Hello, what do you think about me and you having a boxing match? I think you can make a lot of money. good luck. ”
Rooney reportedly went on to say, “With the right support, we could fill stadiums and both sides could make a significant profit.”