Wayne Rooney 'wants to take on major celebrity boxing star in the ring'

Wayne Rooney was sacked from his job as Birmingham City manager last month – and now he wants to get into boxing.

The former Manchester United and England star has reportedly held talks with the same promoter who has got YouTubers like KSI and Logan Paul in the ring.

Rooney is currently out of work after an ill-fated stint at the helm of Birmingham City in which he was sacked after just 15 games.

He is weighing up his options over whether he wants to return to management. But another option could be swapping football boots for boxing gloves.

The ex-footballer has long been a boxing fan and was an amateur boxer as a child in Liverpool.

He performed an iconic Premier League goal celebration when he shadow-boxed at the corner flag before falling over after Manchester United's 3-0 win over Tottenham in 2015.

Rooney also walked out with boxer Ricky Hatton for a Las Vegas fight in 2007, and he has been reported to have messaged promoter Eddie Hearn about setting up a fight in the past.

Now, he is reportedly in talks with Kalle Sauerland, the promoter behind high profile celebrity fights, over getting in the ring.

Misfits, Sauerland's company, doesn't fall under the jurisdiction of the British Boxing Board of Control, so it wouldn't be a professional bout.

But the events have drawn big names like KSI and Logan Paul in the past, along with huge audiences.

Speaking on "The Overlap" podcast with former players Gary Neville, Roy Keane, Jamie Carragher and Jill Scott, Rooney was asked about a potential fight, responding: "You never know."

"They've been in touch and asked the question but I think at the minute I want to focus on getting back into management, not boxing," he said.

"There's been a few [offers] and obviously Misfits have been in and that's been all over the news. But listen I want to focus on getting back into management, that's my focus."

Whether it happens or not, we'll have to wait and see.

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