A few of the trappings of Wayne Rooney’s superstar lifestyle were still evident three years ago, when he set out on a coaching journey which on Wednesday saw Birmingham City appoint him as their manager and declare he is aligned with their ‘winning mentality’.
He was chauffeured from his home in a rural Cheshire village to the training ground at Derby County when appointed as player-coach there, which meant some chance of snatching some sleep after setting out at 7.30am.
That’s where the airs and graces stopped, though, because the testimonies of the players and backroom staff who worked with him at that time all point to the kind of manager Rooney will be at St Andrew’s.