Wayne Rooney set for swift Man Utd reunion on his return to English football

Wayne Rooney will face former Manchester United team mate Michael Carrick and his Middlesbrough side in his first match as Birmingham City manager.

The pair will meet after the international break, when the sixth-place Blues travel to the Riverside Stadium on October 21.

The former Old Trafford favourites played alongside each other for 11 seasons and were key to United winning an impressive collection of league and cup titles.

Carrick’s side currently sits at 16th in the Championship, with four points separating the old friends ahead of their reunion. It had been a rough start to the season for the ex-midfielder but Boro are on the rise, having won their last five matches.

It won’t be too much of a long-awaited reunion though, as the Middlesbrough manager admitted to asking Rooney for advice before signing Lewis O’Brien in August. The teammates have the midfielder in common, with Rooney managing O’Brien during his spell at DC United.

The ex-England striker was appointed as manager at St Andrew's following the sacking of John Eustace. Eustace was let go on October 9, despite his side picking up six points from their last two games, including coming back to beat rivals West Brom 3-1.

The Blues have faced a backlash from some over the shock managerial change as fans of Eustace slammed the club and their decision to bring Rooney in, but others have welcomed in the England legend. He's taking on his third managerial job, following stints at Derby County and D.C United. It comes during a period of change at the Midlands club, with NFL legend Tom Brady becoming a minority owner.

Rooney’s time at DC United ended when he stepped down from his role after missing out on the Major League Soccer play-offs. The Blues manager will have a lot to prove to supporters in the next few weeks, and the beginning promises fireworks as the pals are reunited.