Rooney warns Birmingham Stansfield that 'you're better focusing on your job'

Wayne Rooney has vowed to speak to his Birmingham striker Jay Stansfield after the youngster scored the opening goal in Saturday's Championship draw against Plymouth.

The Birmingham manager was unimpressed with his 21-year-old forward who celebrated in front of Plymouth supporters after scoring by revealing a t-shirt reading 'once a red, always a red'.

Rooney himself once did something similar during his trophy-laden playing career when he displayed a top inscribed with 'once a blue, always a blue' after scoring as a teenage at Everton.

Missiles were lobbed onto the pitch towards Stansfield by aggravated Plymouth supporters given his previous relationship with Argyle's rivals Exeter City.

The hosts eventually fought their way back into proceedings as Birmingham squandered respective 2-0 and 3-1 leads before the match ended as a 3-3 draw.

Rooney complained about his player's celebratory actions at Home Park and warned that 'you never know what the reaction is going to be' when you rial opposition fans.

'Sometimes you're better focusing on your job on the pitch,' Rooney explained after the game.

'Ultimately he's a young player learning his trade in the game and he felt this game was very emotional for him and his family and he's reacted after his goal the way he did, and the referee rightly gave him a yellow card.

'I knew he went behind the goal to the fans, I didn't know he had a T-shirt,' he added.

'I'll speak to Jay on it. When you get involved with fans you never know what the reaction is going to be.

'I've been there myself, I've made mistakes like that myself on the pitch and it's something which I'm sure he'll learn from,' said Rooney.

Birmingham are next in action on Boxing Day when they host Stoke City.