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IAN LADYMAN: Wayne Rooney is on the scrapheap and facing the end as a manager at the age of 38 after leaving Birmingham... but why did he walk into that shambles of a club in the first place?

It's hard to think about Wayne Rooney without recalling some of the staging posts of his career. That goal as a 16-year-old for Everton against Arsenal. Terrorising international opposition for the first time in Euro 2004. A hat-trick on his debut for Manchester United against Galatasaray in the Champions League at Old Trafford.

And now there is another one. Sacked as manager of Birmingham City after only fifteen games in charge. Rooney’s stellar playing career lasted almost 20 years. His time in management may be done before he has even reached his 39th birthday.