Birmingham City latest: Rangers FC response to Jack Butland links, Martin O’Neill takes aim | OneFootball

Birmingham City are preparing for their first game under the management of Wayne Rooney.

The former Manchester United and England captain has been in charge of the club for over a week now, but due to the international break, he has had to wait for his first game in the dugout.

His first game sees him come up against a former teammate, Michael Carrick, as the Blues travel to face Middlesbrough.

Pressure will be on Rooney to continue the good work that John Eustace has done this season as they head into this game sitting in the Championship play-offs.

So, as we wait for Rooney’s first game in charge, here we have looked at the latest news coming out of Birmingham City…

Rangers' stance on Jack Butland

Over the weekend, it was reported that Birmingham had an interest in signing Rangers’ Jack Butland after Rooney made the former England goalkeeper a target.

Butland only joined the Scottish Premiership side in the summer, but there have been reports that suggest that he may be considering his future after Mick Beale’s exit and Birmingham may be an option.

It has now been reported by TEAMtalk, that Rangers have no interest in selling Butland in January and therefore, it would take a hefty fee to sign the goalkeeper.

The report stated: “News of the Blues’ intention to try and sign Butland, however, has been scoffed at within Ibrox with Rangers having zero interest in any deal for their No.1. It would, therefore, take a sensational offer to remove him from Glasgow in January.”

Mikael Silvestre on whether he thinks Wayne Rooney can get Birmingham City promoted

Rooney's appointment was a decision by the club that has taken many, including their own fans, by surprise, but the Birmingham owners are keen to raise the profile of the club and see his arrival as a step in the right direction.

The jury is obviously out on whether Rooney will be a success or not, but his former teammate Mikael Silvestre believes he will be doing everything he can to be successful.

Silvestre said, via GG Recon: “I don’t follow Birmingham City, so I can only speak about Wayne as a professional.

“Ever since he first kicked a football, Wayne’s been passionate about the sport.

“He’s not new to management and he’s already managed in the Championship, which is a very difficult league in general, with Derby County, where he had to deal with points deductions, so at least he’s in a better position now with Birmingham City.

“The Championship is a very tough league and if you have to go through the play-offs, then it can be a very long season, but this job gives Wayne the platform to grow and improve as a manager.

“I’m sure he will embrace working in England again and work hard to achieve success with Birmingham City.

“His coaching staff, which includes Ashley Cole and my former teammate John O’Shea, will play a big part too, and they will need to help Wayne as he’s still a young manager.

“They need to work hard as a team if they’re to achieve their objectives at the club.”

Martin O’Neill speaks out on John Eustace’s exit from Birmingham City

Eustace has been out of work since last week, as he was unexpectedly relieved of his duties as Birmingham’s manager.

It is a decision that has split the football fanbase, but former Aston Villa and Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill has made intentions clear that he sides with Eustace.

O’Neill told talkSPORT: “John Eustace, let me take it from his viewpoint - he's taken them to sixth in the league, Birmingham City have had monumental problems in the last couple of seasons, not least of all the ground which has hardly been fit for purpose.

"Yet John Eustace has done this job, where they're sixth, they're in a play-off position and suddenly he loses his job. If I was John Eustace, I'd be absolutely seething underneath.

"Then I think the CEO made some comment about John Eustace's ambitions didn't match ours - do you think he was going to come out and say that my job was just to keep the team in the league?

"I'm sure Eustace would be no different to any other manager.

"If you're not in the big league, the team that you are managing is the team you want to get promotion with, regardless of what position you were in, so your dream would be the same thing.

"I'd be really surprised if John Eustace was saying 'if we just avoid relegation, we'll be okay'.

"He'll have been fully aware of the expectation around the club, certainly now with new owners and things like this.

“From all the comments that are emanating from the football club, you'd have to say yeah [regarding Rooney needing to get Blues promoted], and it's not to say that it's a long-term project - it looks as though you have to go up this season.”