Why Birmingham City fans could end up thanking Wayne Rooney for Max Bird | OneFootball

The former Blues boss has been credited with aiding the development of their latest recruit

Birmingham City completed their sixth signing of the summer transfer window on Friday, as it was confirmed Max Bird had moved across the Championship from Bristol City.

Blues have, in previous transfer windows during the Knighthead era, parted with significant transfer fees to secure the services of high-profile names, which have since yielded mixed returns as the club plots an eventual route back to the Premier League.

However, whilst some sections of the fanbase at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park will believe that more business needs to be done between now and September 1st, Davies has added sufficient depth and quality so far in areas in which it was needed the most.

Bird has become a seasoned campaigner at the level for his former employers, and before that, fellow Midlands side, Derby County.

And there is a small sense of irony within the deal that part of the reason behind Bird's solid trajectory thus far is Wayne Rooney, who isn't exactly the most liked of figures in B9.

Max Bird praised Wayne Rooney for helping his development as a Derby County youngster

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Rooney, of course, began an intriguing managerial career with Derby after the departure of Philippe Cocu in 2020, having previously become a high-profile signing from D.C United of the MLS earlier in the year.

Ironically, Bird was also snapped up by Derby's academy at the age of 10 in the year of 2010 after having two years at Birmingham's own youth setup - which has been noted by the club after his signing was announced.

Despite making his Rams debut at the age of 16 against Wigan Athletic in December 2019, at the time his long-standing association with the club came to an end, Bird heaped praise on Rooney for allowing him to blossom during the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons, where his young side would have survived in the Championship was it not for a 21-point deduction.

"Wayne Rooney was a big part for me. He brought out something that was being kept inside of me; he gave me loads of confidence, told me loads of good things. He showed me how he wanted me to play and it suited me and that was the first season where I felt I made my mark," Bird stated.

Jordan James said similar things about Wayne Rooney despite Birmingham City disaster

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Rooney emerged with real credit from his spell at Derby given the circumstances, but his second spell in the Championship with Birmingham would prove to be a disaster.

The Liverpudlian replaced current Rams boss, John Eustace, in October 2023 with Blues sat sixth, but could only win two of his 16 games in charge before being relieved of his duties by Knighthead, who have since admitted that the decision was a mistake as the club went on to be relegated.

That said, a shining light at St. Andrew's that season was Jordan James, who earned a switch to Rennes off the back of an eight-goal season.

Even though he has since gone on to shine for Leicester City on loan and finally win the Championship's Player of the Season award, Rooney was praised by the Welsh international for an individual impact back in 2023.

“He has helped me a lot already in a month. It’s brilliant under a manager who has played a lot of games at the top level. That’s where I want to get to so to be able to learn from him, all I can do is listen," said James.

Max Bird will hope to replicate 2024/25 form after Birmingham City switch

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Last season was a difficult campaign for Bird and the Robins, as they were unable to make the play-offs for a second successive season, whilst Gerhard Struber was sacked in March and temporarily replaced by Roy Hodgson.

A calf injury saw him feature just 15 times, meaning that he wasn't exactly able to get back to replicating the form showcased in 2024/25, where he built on a promotion-winning season with Derby in fine fashion.

Alongside the likes of Anis Mehmeti and Nakhi Wells, the Burton native was a key reason behind City's eventual play-off finish, even if they were dismantled 6-0 by Sheffield United on aggregate.

Operating in a deep-lying position, Bird was able to continuously help break resolute defences down, as seen by a tally of eight assists in 45 games, and that could be a key difference for Blues this season if they are to continue their strong home form under Davies.

Birmingham City's first home fixture now has added spice

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It remains to be seen whether Bird can immediately force his way into Davies' starting lineup, but with over 160 Championship appearances amassed, he will feel he has a strong chance of doing so despite current competition from Paik Seung-ho, Tomoki Iwata and Jhon Solis.

However, the new recruit does provide more than adequate depth due to injuries sustained by another former Reds man, Taylor Gardner-Hickman, as well as Marc Leonard.