Rooney & Carrick meet in the dugout as they seek similar success as managers

When Middlesbrough and Birmingham meet in the Championship on Saturday, there will be 35 trophies and 154 England caps in the respective dugouts.

Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick were two constants of a golden era for Manchester United, who swept all before them in the domestic game. Now both are trying to build similar reputations as managers.

Both were prodigies. Sporting a Newcastle shirt, the 13-year-old Carrick was interviewed on the BBC by Andi Peters in 1995, labelled ‘one of England’s future footballing stars.’

Rooney had been talked about in such glowing terms during childhood that when – at just 16 – he scored an iconic goal for Everton against Arsenal in October 2002, it was barely even a surprise.

Former England managing director Adrian Bevington worked closely with both men for more than a decade with the national team and predicts bright futures for them.

‘They have different personalities, but they were very easy to work with,’ said Bevington, a hugely experienced football operator who championed Carrick for a role in management after his caretaker spell with Manchester United last year. ‘Both had a really strong team ethic – selfless, responsible, not about personal glory.

‘Wayne naturally assumed a leadership role within the team from his mid-20s. What stands out is their natural popularity and the respect they generated among their peers. They’re likeable and polite but have massively high standards.’

The problem with management, though, is that your own footballing ability counts for nothing. The players of Boro and Birmingham cannot do what their managers could, and when Rooney said in his opening press conference that his players should ‘mirror me’, it raised a few eyebrows.

Carrick has already shown huge