Manchester United have been struggling since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
Many people think they need to get a manager capable of emulating Ferguson before they can become a force to be reckoned with again.
Some of the players under the Scot at the time have moved into management after hanging up their boots, and Dimitar Berbatov believes at least one of them dreams of being in the Red Devils’ dugout someday.
The Bulgarian believes Wayne Rooney has what it takes to become the manager of Man United in the future, tipping him for the job despite his recent woes at Birmingham City.
“I have no doubt that he is going to come back and be a manager because I think that’s what he likes to do,” Berbatov told the Sun.
“I think, ultimately, at one time in the future he would like to be the manager of Manchester United. How he is going to get there is another question.
“I hope he is going to continue to climb that ladder of success in that business to be a manager. Unfortunately, he had a bit of a setback with the Birmingham job.
“You cannot argue with the numbers though. Losing a lot of games. The team was fifth when he came in, when he was sacked they were 20th. You cannot argue with that.
“Yes, someone can say ‘they did not give him enough time’ but now in today’s football results need to come fast.
“So maybe sometimes it’s more important to get the results first so you have time to build your vision of the game.
“Unfortunately, that was not the case with him but I hope he will come back stronger and continue on that path to one day be the manager of Man United.”
Birmingham won just two of the 15 matches Rooney was in charge of, dropping from sixth to 20th in the Championship table, and his chances of getting another big job have taken a huge hit.
The former Red Devils star started his managerial career with Derby County in November 2020, keeping them up at the end of the season.
However, they were relegated to League One at the end of 2021-22 due to incurring 21 points of deductions for entering administration and breaching financial rules earlier in the season.
The 38-year-old resigned as their manager in June 2022 before joining Major League Soccer club DC United the following month.
He left in October 2023 after they failed to qualify for the play-offs for a second straight season and was appointed as Birmingham boss three days later.
While managing Man United cannot entirely be ruled out, Rooney must win league titles and major trophies as a manager in one of the big leagues in Europe to have a chance of getting his dream job.
