We asked AI if Wayne Rooney will ever manage in the EFL Championship again - the answer is surprising | OneFootball

AI has predicted whether we will see the England legend in a Championship dugout anytime soon

Wayne Rooney's managerial career has been well-documented, with the England legend enduring extremely mixed fortunes in a handful of vacancies up to this point.

It has become a hot topic of discussion in recent times as to whether some of the best players of the past two decades can forge a successful managerial career, with Steven Gerrard and current Coventry City boss, Frank Lampard, also analysed in a similar fashion to that of Rooney.

The 39-year-old has four clubs on his managerial resume thus far, with three of those clubs residing in the Championship at the time he took charge and was relieved of his duties in the form of Derby County, Birmingham City and Plymouth Argyle.

With that being said, Football League World has quizzed AI-based chatbot, ChatGPT, as to whether it thinks we are likely to see the Liverpudlian return to management in the second-tier anytime soon, and which club that could potentially be with.

Wayne Rooney's previous Championship records at Derby County, Birmingham City and Plymouth Argyle

Rooney's maiden venture into management came during an extremely turbulent period in Derby County's recent history, with the Manchester United icon placed in interim charge at Pride Park, before taking the reins permanently in January 2021 on a two-and-a-half year contract.

He was able to preserve the Rams' Championship status on the final day of the season by a point ahead of Wycombe Wanderers, before the club was hit with a 21-point deduction across 2021/22 for entering administration and breaching EFL accounting regulations.

Regardless, he and Liam Rosenior galvanised a young squad that finished second-bottom on 34 points, and would have finished 17th without the aforementioned deduction, before leaving the club in June 2022 after winning just 25 of his 85 games in charge, equating to a win percentage of just 29 percent.

After an underwhelming spell with D.C. United in the MLS, Rooney was appointed by Birmingham in October 2023 with the club sat sixth in the table after Knighthead Capital Management dismissed John Eustace just weeks after taking control of the club.

The board stated he would bring a 'no-fear' style of play to St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park. However, such words weren't followed up on the pitch, with Rooney winning just two games out of a possible 15, resulting in his dismissal after a 3-0 defeat against Leeds United in January 2024 after Blues had slumped to 20th place.

His spell in B9 has recently made headlines after minority stakeholder Tom Brady questioned Rooney's work ethic in the club's new Amazon Prime documentary, comments which the current Match of the Day pundit has hit back against, stating that "when I went into Birmingham they were in a mess."

To the surprise of many, Rooney was handed yet another Championship lifeline and three-year contract by Plymouth last summer. However, it would once again prove a short-lived tenure, as he departed the Greens by mutual consent after a 2-0 defeat to Oxford United in December 2024 after winning just five games out of a possible 25, leaving many questioning whether he would ever manage at this level in the future.

AI predicts potential future Championship reprieve for Wayne Rooney

Whilst supporters of many clubs would urge their respective owners to steer clear of Rooney's services in the dugout at present, ChatGPT hasn't ruled out the possibility of a return to the second-tier in the future.

It concedes that for now, he is clearly focusing on his punditry career after starting a podcast called 'The Wayne Rooney Show' with the BBC, as well as featuring as an analyst on Match of the Day after signing a two-year contract worth approximately £800,000.

When asked if there are any clubs in particular that stand out as a likely destination in the Championship, AI pinpointed Blackburn Rovers, given the fact that Rooney was linked with a potential shock move to the Ewood Park outfit in April, just weeks after Valerien Ismael had replaced now-Derby County boss, Eustace.

Rovers have endured a difficult start to the season thus far after narrowly missing out on the play-offs in May. If they were to part ways with the former Barnsley, West Brom and Watford boss if the tide isn't able to turn amid financial limitations, the Venky's unpopularity would surely grow even further if the club were to replace him with Rooney given his aforementioned struggles.