Rangers worried as ex-Man Utd star 'tempted' to link up with Wayne Rooney and Tom Brady

Tom Weber

Updated: 20 Oct 2023 07:27 BST
3 min read

Wayne Rooney, Tom Brady, Birmingham — © ProShots

Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland could be on his way to Birmingham City, according to a report.

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The former Manchester United loanee signed for the Scottish giants in the summer, but he may already be on his way out in January. According to recent reports, the shot-stopper is Wayne Rooney's first major target at his new job as Birmingham City head coach.

The Second City club recently, and controversially, fired John Eustace to bring in a flashy big name after NFL legend Tom Brady had become a co-owner of the Championship side.

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Rooney recently left his role as DC United head coach, where he managed to bring some enthusiasm back to a club that has massively fallen from grace - and he got Christian Benteke back among the goals - but he still could not manage to lift them into the MLS playoffs, an amazing feat considering that more than half of the Eastern Conference's 15 teams get in.

Butland tempted

According to journalist Dean Jones, Gers keeper Butland could be tempted to return to his first-ever professional club despite being the starting goalkeeper for his current side. Rangers themselves, of course, recently underwent a coaching change, replacing the once highly-rated Michael Beale with Philipe Clement.

“It's not ideal to be hearing talk about Butland and Birmingham," Jones told GIVEMESPORT. "I think the player needs to be sure of this new vision quickly so he understands because if he's not, there might be the temptation to leave."

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"The pull of Rooney and Birmingham is huge because both pull on the heartstrings a bit. But Butland is a very experienced player. We’ll soon find out what Clement thinks of him, players like him within the setup and what they'll mean to him going forward.”

The former England keeper spent last season on loan at Man Utd from Crystal Palace but did not make a competitive appearance for the Red Devils.