Birmingham City, Derby County and Everton figure at heart of £6.7bn 'tug of war'

Former Birmingham City manager Wayne Rooney is in demand for a new job, according to a report.

The Sun is reporting that Rooney is at the heart of a ‘tug of war’ between Sky Sports and TNT. Both broadcasters, who have paid £6.7bn to stream games from 2025 to 2029, are eyeing him up for a ‘top pundit’ job for the 2024/25 season.

Sky Sports' coverage boasts the likes of Gary Neville, Jamie Redknapp, Jamie Carragher, Paul Merson and Roy Keane. TNT meanwhile has Joe Cole, Peter Crouch and Rio Ferdinand. Rooney is 'very highly respected' among the TV producers and there is said to be good feedback from viewers.

It has been said though that Rooney is in two minds about committing to a season in punditry. He is said to hold ambitions of returning to the dugout despite his ill-fated spell with Blues.

Rooney was in charge for 15 matches, taking over from John Eustace who had the team in the play-offs at the time of his sacking. When Rooney was relieved of his duties, they dropped down to 20th and were six points above the relegation zone. He oversaw just two wins during his time in the dugout, and picked up 10 points from a possible 45.

Since his departure from St Andrew’s, he has appeared on Gary Neville’s podcast the Overlap, as well as doing some punditry work for the BBC for their FA Cup coverage. Rooney was also on TNT Sport in March, offering his expertise between the meeting between two of his former clubs Manchester United and Everton. Should he not find a job in football management, it’s likely that he will be with the BBC for their coverage of EURO 2024.