"Switched career thrice", "Face Ronaldo" - Fans react as Manchester United icon Wayne Rooney reportedly considers boxing in KSI's Misfits event
Manchester United icon Wayne Rooney looks set to swap football management for boxing and fans are pining for him to square off with former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Mirror reports that Rooney, 38, has held talks with KSI's Misfits boxing promotion to potentially compete in one of their upcoming events. The Englishman is currently out of football after being sacked by Birmingham City in January.
Misfits is home to crossover boxing that sees some of YouTube and TikTok's biggest stars battle in the ring. YouTube megastars KSI and Logan Paul, Love Islander Tommy Fury, and TikToker Slim Albaher have all competed for the organization.
Rooney's admiration of boxing is well-documented and he explained how his father was a key reason behind it:
"Growing up, I remember my dad used to give us the gloves in the house. It is something I have always loved doing. The night with Bardo, we got home and we put the gloves on. It is something that we do quite regularly – but that one got out!"
The former Red Devils captain is now weighing up his options following his Birmingham departure. The English coach previously had reigns in charge of EFL League One side Derby County and MLS outfit DC United.
The Manchester United icon's tenure in charge of the Blues was a short one and ended miserably. He oversaw just two wins in 15 games with the East Midlands outfit plummeting down the EFL Championship table during that time.
Nevertheless, it looks as though fans may be able to catch Rooney back on their screens soon but in a different sport.
One fan talked up a potential fight between two Red Devils legends:
"Face Ronaldo @WayneRooney."
Another fan alluded to the former England captain switching sport:
"Bro switched career thrice."
Here's how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to the Manchester United hero being lined up for a one-off boxing bout:
Cristiano Ronaldo took aim at his former Manchester United teammate Wayne Rooney
There is a good reason why fans may want to see Rooney fight his former Red Devils teammate Ronaldo. The legendary pair were embroiled in a war of words last year after the former criticized the latter during his second spell at Old Trafford.
Ronaldo, 39, hit back at Rooney in an explosive interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan. He said (via TNT Sports):
"Probably [it's jealousy]. Probably - because he finished his career in his 30s. I'm still playing at a high level; I'm not going to say that I'm looking better than him, which is true."
The Englishman responded to the Al-Nassr superstar and branded his comments as a 'bit strange':
"Bit strange, some of the comments are strange in there but I'm sure Manchester United will deal with it once they've seen the full interview and they'll take whatever action they need to take.”
The two footballing icons were part of a hugely successful Manchester United side under Sir Alex Ferguson. They won 10 major trophies, including three Premier League titles, while together at Old Trafford.