Wayne Rooney passed down the opportunity to manage in Saudi Pro League before joining Birmingham City. On Wednesday, Rooney was named Birmingham’s next manager, succeeding John Eustace at St Andrew’s. After departing Major League Soccer side DC United at the end of the 2023 season, the Manchester United great became a free agent.
Rooney, on the other hand, could have been in charge of a Saudi Pro League team instead. Rooney said during his Birmingham launch on Thursday that he had an offer from the Middle East but chose to compete in the Championship instead.
Rooney’s choice contrasts with that of Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Saudi heavyweights Al-Nassr at the start of the year. Rooney and Ronaldo had a heated argument in November when the latter accused the former of being envious.
Steven Gerrard, Neymar, Sadio Mane, N’Golo Kante, Aleksandr Mitrovic, Jordan Henderson, Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino, and Ruben Neves are among the coaches and players that have relocated to Saudi Arabia on lucrative contracts.
Saudi Arabia’s national wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund, has made considerable investments in the Saudi Pro League during the previous year. Ronaldo was the PIF’s first significant acquisition, joining Al-Nassr after agreeing to leave Manchester United in November.
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