Wayne Rooney could change sports despite Birmingham only just appointing England football icon
Wayne Rooney returned to England with Birmingham City last week
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Eddie Hearn has hinted Wayne Rooney could swap football for boxing.
The England football icon is back on these shores after leaving DC United in order to become manager of Birmingham City.
Rooney has been charged with the task of guiding the Blues to the Premier League, with Birmingham currently sixth in the Championship table.
He's eager to get going at St Andrew's and is out to silence his critics, with some believing he's the wrong choice for the job.
Eddie Hearn has teased Wayne Rooney could end up swapping football for boxing
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Hearn, however, has now teased Rooney could pursue a career in boxing - insisting it's something the footballer is open to.
"He won't mind me saying but after every big fight, especially with a YouTuber, sometimes Rooney will fire me a message," he told Sky Sports.
Gary Neville then chimed in, saying: "Did you not see him against Phil Bardsley?"
Neville was referring to when Rooney was knocked out by Bardsley on the floor of his kitchen back in 2015.
Hearn joked about the incident, saying: "That was in the living room after about eight bottles of red."
And the boxing promoter then suggested Rooney could end up fighting Jake Paul at Old Trafford.
"Wayne Rooney had a very limited amateur pedigree but could still fight," he said.
"Wayne Rooney training, and I said to him, 'Imagine the shape you could get in as well. You'll get right back into shape.'
"(Rooney) against Jake Paul at Old Trafford."
Paul has pursued boxing over the past three years and has won seven of his eight fights so far.
His only defeat came against Tommy Fury earlier this year, though he did respond by beating former UFC star Nate Diaz shortly afterwards.
Paul is preparing for a fight on December 15.
And though his opponent is yet to be confirmed, many are expecting him to fight a professional boxer rather than a YouTuber or former UFC star.
Meanwhile, former Liverpool boss Graeme Souness recently claimed Rooney was already in 'last chance saloon' when it comes to football management.
The former striker hasn't set the world alight during his spells at Derby and DC United so far.
And Souness recently wrote: "Wayne Rooney has not been awarded the Birmingham job on the strength of what he’s achieved in his coaching career so far.
"He was a truly great player and there’s still time for him to become a great manager.
"But he is now in charge at St Andrew’s because he has 63 million followers across all social media platforms.
"That’s the football world we’re in, with the power of social media.
"That’s also what appealed to Birmingham’s new American owners, who have made a commercial decision, rather than a footballing one - just when the club looked to be getting their act together, for the first time in years. Wayne’s predecessor John Eustace paid the price of the new way of running football clubs.
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Wayne Rooney is eager to steer Birmingham into the Premier League at the first time of asking
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"Wayne will be aware of the risks attached to this job.
"I view this as a last chance saloon moment for him in management, given that he has a win rate of 27.5 per cent spanning his time in charge at Derby County and DC United."