Caps off! Birmingham City’s Wayne Rooney responds to Peaky Blinders probe

It’s a question close to every Bluenose heart - is Wayne Rooney a Peaky Blinders fan?

Inevitably the question came up at his first press conference held at St Andrews yesterday (Thursday, October 12).

Rooney made several key pledges during the meeting - including an assurance that promotion back to the Premier League is his, and Birmingham City’s, main target, after a 12 year absence from the top flight.

Former Manchester United and England striker Rooney left his role as head coach of DC United by mutual consent on Sunday (October 8) after they missed out on the MLS Cup play-offs.

He has replaced John Eustace, from Solihull, at St Andrew’s after he was controversially sacked on Monday, despite the club sitting sixth in the Championship following back-to-back wins.

St Andrews Stadium is mentioned in the first ever Peaky Blinders episode and Blues fans have taken the show to their hearts, with many sporting the gang’s iconic caps to games. The club is even owned by Shelby Companies Limited - although they are not the company that our Tommy runs in the show!

Is Wayne Rooney a Peaky Blinders fan?

Rooney assured fans that he is, indeed, a fan of Birmingham heroes the Peaky Blinders - and he’s even been given a hat by Blues, although he hasn’t worn it yet!

Speaking to Sky Sports at the press conference at St Andrews when asked if he was a Peaky Blinders fan Rooney replied with a grin: “I have to be now, don’t I! Of course, I’ve watched the TV show and I think it’s one of the best TV shows that I’ve watched over the last 10 years. They gave me one of the caps which I wasn’t going to wear to this press conference, but I’m sure I’ll find time to put it on.”

What did Wayne Rooney say about Birmingham’s City’s Premier League goal?

He said: "The goal for the club and myself is to get this club back to the Premier League," Rooney said. There is a lot of work to be done throughout the football club but the Premier League is where we want to get to.

"It’s an ambition of mine and it is an ambition of the club’s, and we are putting everything in place to make sure we do that in the near future."

Wayne Rooney’s first six fixtures for Birmingham City

• October 21: Middlesbrough vs Birmingham - kick-off 3pm
• October 25: Birmingham vs Hull - kick-off 7.45pm, live on Sky Sports Football Red Button
• October 28: Southampton vs Birmingham - kick-off 12.30pm, live on Sky Sports Football
• November 4: Birmingham vs Ipswich - kick-off 3pm
• November 11: Sunderland vs Birmingham - kick-off 12.30pm, live on Sky Sports Football
• November 25: Birmingham vs Sheffield Wednesday - kick-off 3pm