John Eustace leaves Birmingham City manager's job amid Man United icon Wayne Rooney reports

Birmingham City have parted company with John Eustace with Manchester United great Wayne Rooney the heavy favourite to take over at St Andrew's.

The Blues confirmed Eustace's departure on Monday morning amid plenty of speculation surrounding his future. Birmingham are sixth in the Championship having made a strong start to the campaign.

But the club have opted to axe the former Ireland international and Rooney, who left MLS club D.C. United over the weekend after they failed to make the play-offs, is reportedly set to take over.

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The former Manchester United captain moved to D.C. United in July 2022, shortly after resigning as the manager of Derby County after two years with the Rams. Rooney's managerial win percentage across his two clubs in management is just 27.5.

A Birmingham club statement on Monday morning read: "It is essential that the board of directors and the football management are fully aligned on the importance of implementing a winning mentality and a culture of ambition across the entire football club.

"With this in mind, Birmingham City has today parted company with head coach, John Eustace. Eustace departs after 15 months in charge, having helped to stabilise and strengthen the club on the pitch following his appointment in July 2022.

"In his first season at the helm, he guided the team to a 17th-place finish, securing Sky Bet Championship status with three games remaining. During his time at St. Andrew’s, he galvanised the squad to deliver a number of memorable moments in testing circumstances.

"The club would like to thank John for his contribution. His dedication and