"I still stick to that" - Dimitar Berbatov believes his ex-teammate Wayne Rooney could become Manchester United manager in the future

Former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov has expressed his belief in the managerial capabilities of former teammate Wayne Rooney. The retired Bulgarian striker holds the opinion that the former Derby County manager will one day manage the Red Devils.

Manchester United legend Rooney has had a rough stint since turning his attention to professional management, failing to make a real impression. His most recent managerial job saw him relieved of his duties by Championship outfit Birmingham City after just 83 days at the club.

Dimitar Berbatov was sympathetic to the plight of his former teammate. He reckons that Rooney's sacking by Birmingham was too soon as he deserved more time. Berbatov said on BetFair that he understood the decision, but believes Wayne Rooney should have been given more time:

"It's a very tricky situation. Birmingham were sixth when Wazza took over, and now they're 20th in the table. It's a major disappointment to go from the top six to 20th and the statistics speak for themselves - he only won twice in 15 matches. It's difficult to defend that.

"On the other hand, he did not have the time to prove himself. In today's football, though, the most important thing is the results. You need to get the results first to give yourself time to build on your vision. You can't build on your vision while going through bad results. Unfortunately, you don't get time so easily in football."

The former Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur striker also admitted that he feels pity for Wayne Rooney, who lost his job after just 15 games. He said:

"Maybe if he was given more time he would have turned things around, but again, the results are the most important thing in modern football. If the other results in the league were different and even if you're losing games you don't drop down the league, you stay in midtable, then maybe it's going to be a different picture.

"But Birmingham are near the bottom of the table and they have big ambitions, so it's led to the decision to sack Wazza. It's a pity."

Berbatov shared his belief in the former England international to bounce back and one day manage Manchester United, saying:

"I sympathise with him because I know he wants to be a manager and one day maybe he'll be the manager of Man United - I still stick to that. His time at Birmingham shows every footballer who'd like to go into management that even if you're a big name, it can't save you from the sack."

Rooney won just two of 15 games at Birmingham, lost nine and drew four.

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Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney finding transition to management difficult

As a player, Wayne Rooney was top brass throughout his career, finishing as the all-time top goalscorer for Manchester United. His foray into management has delivered the opposite in terms of success, as he has yet to make any significant impact in his career.

Playing under the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson has not helped the 38-year-old transition easily, and like many of his Manchester United teammates, is struggling. The likes of Gary Neville and Roy Keane also had stints in management but failed to make any significant impact.

Wayne Rooney has taken the manager's job at Derby County, D.C United, and Birmingham, and has not performed well at any of the sides. He has announced that he will take a break from football, after which he will return to management.