Man Utd legend hints at Birmingham City involvement as Wayne Rooney target assessed

Manchester United legend Dimitar Berbatov has hinted at getting involved at Birmingham City following the appointment of his ex-teammate, Wayne Rooney, as manager. The iconic former Bulgaria striker, best known for his exquisite technique and clinical finishing, has revealed he wants to help guide Blues’ new boss in some capacity.

Berbatov retired from professional football in 2019, ending his career at Indian Super League side Kerala Blasters. Before that, the now 42-year-old played for PAOK, Monaco, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, Bayer Leverkusen and CSKA Sofia. He also of course featured for Man Utd as he spent four years at Old Trafford alongside Rooney, scoring 48 goals in 102 matches.

After a three-year break from football, Berbatov took on the role of assistant coach at Etar in the Bulgarian top-tier, the First League, but decided to leave soon after his arrival. The desire to coach still isn’t there for Berbatov but that hasn’t stopped him from being keen to help out his former colleague, as unveiled in an interview with Betfair.

“I have my own journey and I don’t have any plans to go into coaching or management, but I’m always there to help and advise [Rooney] because I love football and I can bring something to the table. You never know. I’m curious to see how Wazza gets forward in this line of work because America is one thing, now he’s back in England and everything’s changed,” Berbatov said.

As well as being quizzed on his desire to assist Rooney at Birmingham, Berbatov was asked about how successful he thinks the new Blues manager will be and if the big targets set out are achievable. There has been plenty of doubt from supporters at Rooney’s poor managerial record to date but Berbatov is optimistic his former attacking counterpart can progress his coaching skills in B9.

“Wayne is a big, big name in football. He knows that when you stop playing football, your name can get you places, but when it comes down to management you need to start from the beginning. The Birmingham job will be difficult and you want someone who will be there for you. It’s great that Wayne has added someone like John O’Shea to his team,” Berbatov continued.