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Wayne Rooney retired from the game after being named Derby County manager permanently.
The 35-year-old is retiring as the all-time top scorer for both Manchester United and England.
Rooney has been acting as interim manager at Derby since late November, but has now assumed the position permanently on a two-and-a-half-year contract.
Rooney said: “When I first came to the UK I was completely blown away by the potential of Derby County Football Club. The stadium, the training ground, the quality of the playing staff and the young players coming and of course the base. fans remained loyal and supportive.
“Despite other offers, I knew instinctively that Derby County was the place for me.
“Having the opportunity to follow the likes of Brian Clough, Jim Smith, Frank Lampard and Phillip Cocu is a great honor and I can promise that everyone involved in the club and all of our fans, my staff and I will leave no stone unturned by achieving the potential that I have witnessed over the last 12 months from this historic football club. “
3:42
To mark Wayne Rooney’s retirement from playing, we take a look at his record career at Manchester United.
Rooney scored 253 goals in 559 appearances for Manchester United and won five Premier League titles, along with a Champions League and Europa League crown during his time at Old Trafford.
He scored 53 goals in 120 appearances for his country.
Rooney began his career at Everton and rejoined the club from United in 2017 before a brief stint in MLS with DC United, from where he joined Derby last year.
The decision to name Rooney was made jointly by current Derby owner Mel Morris and prospective owner Sheikh Khaled.
Liam Rosenior, Shay Given and Justin Walker will retain their positions on Rooney’s coaching staff. while Steve McClaren will continue as technical director and advisor to the board of directors.
3:17
Take a look at Wayne Rooney’s five biggest goals in the Premier League, from record free kicks to rocket-powered volleys to that bike kick against Manchester City.
Derby CEO Stephen Pearce added: “We are delighted to confirm the appointment of Wayne Rooney as our new manager.
“Our recent upturn in results with Wayne was combined with some positive performances, notably a 2-0 home win over Swansea City and a 4-0 win at Birmingham City.
“During that nine-game streak we also dramatically improved his defensive record and posted five clean sheets in the process, while in the attacking third we became more effective and ruthless as well.
“That foundation has provided a platform for the club to build on in the second half of the season under Wayne’s leadership.”
Rooney’s first game as permanent manager will be Saturday at home to Rotherham in Pride Park.
It has been a confusing time for Derby, with the senior first-team players still waiting to be paid their December salary.
Khaled’s lengthy inauguration is not yet complete, while the training ground was closed for more than a week, while almost the entire first team was forced into self-isolation due to a coronavirus outbreak.
But the Derby bosses hope this decision will give the team much-needed stability.
Rooney’s record as interim boss has been impressive. When he took over exclusively, Derby had won just one of his first 13 games of the 2020/21 season.
Since then, the first team have lost only twice in nine matches, and they can come out of the Championship relegation places with a win against Rotherham on Saturday.
Rooney has managed to shore up a leaky defense, Derby have conceded just two goals in their last seven league games.
Sky Sports News It has been said that what has most impressed the decision-makers at the club is how he has galvanized the team and how Rooney has cultivated a team spirit, which they feel has been lacking for most of the season.
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