Wayne Rooney makes candid Birmingham City admission following appointment | OneFootball

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Birmingham City boss Wayne Rooney has admitted that the club hasn't been where it should be during the past decade, making this admission to BBC Radio WM.

He isn't wrong, with Blues struggling in the Championship for much of the past 10 years and being favourites to go down during a few of those seasons.

They came particularly close to being relegated at the end of the 2013/14 season, with Paul Caddis' last-minute equaliser allowing them stay up and send Doncaster Rovers down on goal difference.

And they were poor under the guidance of BSHL, who endured a pretty miserable time at St Andrew's and faced plenty of calls to sell up from supporters.

Struggling down at the bottom end of the Championship throughout their time at St Andrew's, many Birmingham fans were relieved when there was a change of ownership back in the summer.

It was an opportunity for Blues to open a new chapter - and although many supporters don't know what lies ahead - they were happy to enter this new era following BSHL's controversial time at the helm.

Currently sitting in sixth place, it seems as though their summer business has paid dividends, with plenty of talented players coming through the door.

However, Blues can't afford to rest on their laurels and now they have a new manager at the helm, the board will be hoping their brave decision to sack John Eustace and replace him with Rooney will work out for the best.

What is Wayne Rooney's big ambition at Birmingham City?

It may still take a while for Birmingham to fully click considering there has been a lot of movement at the club in recent months, both on and off the pitch.

And this is why there needs to be patience, with the club likely to thrive in the long term if the atmosphere is positive in the short term regardless of results.

But Rooney has already set his sights on what he wants Birmingham to become, telling BBC Radio WM: "I want to build Birmingham back up - really get it back to where it belongs. It's a huge club.

"It hasn't been where I think I should it have been over the last 10 years and now this is a challenge and an opportunity to get it back there."

It would be a big ask for Rooney to do it at the end of this season considering the strength of their league rivals.

Leeds United, Leicester City and Southampton all look strong on paper along with Coventry City and Middlesbrough, both of whom have excellent managers in charge.

Norwich City will also want to be in the mix after missing out on promotion last term, along with Sunderland who managed to secure a place in the play-offs last term.

The Black Cats may have lost Ross Stewart, but they look strong this season, with Tony Mowbray's side able to keep Jack Clarke and Patrick Roberts at the club.