‘What I’ve heard’ - West Ham star gives insight on what Wayne Rooney is doing at Birmingham City

West Ham United star Michail Antonio has given his verdict on Wayne Rooney's appointment at Birmingham City and shared what he knows the Manchester United legend will excel at.

The 37-year-old was appointed Blues boss following the surprise sacking of John Eustace earlier this month. Birmingham City have enjoyed a strong start to the Championship season and sit in sixth place but the club cited a desire for a 'no fear playing style' as the reason for a change in management.

The appointment of Rooney has got the football world talking thanks to his impressive career in England and recent underwhelming stint in charge of DC United in the USA. The Birmingham City appointment even got the attention of Antonio on the striker's BBC Sounds' Footballers' Football Podcast this week.

When asked whether having a prolific former player in charge motivates a team, the Hammers talisman said: "It's difficult to say to be honest. It all comes down to their coaching ability and what they bring. You can be a superstar, you can be an unbelievable player of your time but at the end of the day, unless you can actually get your point across and tell us what you need, it's not going to help the team.

"What I've heard about him, I've heard he's got some good qualities to him. One thing he definitely has is good man management and that is massive in football. He makes the team want to fight and die on the pitch for him. I wish him luck."

Antonio himself is managed by David Moyes and trains under coach Kevin Nolan, who is a West Ham legend himself. The striker went on to share his love for the 'banter with the boys' Nolan has thanks to his time as a former player.

Giving an insight into his priorities during his first press conference, Rooney teased: “My job is to get the players ready to go out and perform. Get the mentality right, to make sure we are consistent, consistency is everything in this league. I want to build a winning mentality.”