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Wayne Rooney has told the Derby County players that he will be in charge of the team’s affairs for the foreseeable future and has confirmed that he is ready to retire as a player if prospective new club owners install him as full-time manager.
Rooney will take sole charge of the club for Saturday’s home game against Wycombe Wanderers, having been part of an interim coaching quartet alongside Liam Rosenior, Shay Given and Justin Walker since the firing of Phillip Cocu.
Rooney arranged a meeting with the Derby players at training ground on Friday morning, where he addressed the confusion and uncertainties within the team, after some had no idea that he was taking over until they saw the information. in Sky Sports News Thursday night.
England’s all-time top scorer led Friday’s training session with the support of Rosenior, after several players raised concerns that there were too many voices within the coach setup, too often leading to instructions. unclear and mixed messages.
The Rams fell in a 3-0 loss to Middlesbrough on Wednesday night with Rosenior calling the team’s display “painful and punishing,” while Derby manager Steve McClaren, who has returned to the club for a fifth season. , saw how his new team does not win for the ninth consecutive game.
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Derby suffered a 3-0 loss to Middlesbrough on Wednesday
Meanwhile, a consortium led by Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan, involved in the appointment of the former England coach, is expected to complete his takeover of the club in the coming days.
When asked if he was ready to hang up his boots and potentially take the full-time coaching job, Rooney said: “If I’m managing the team on a larger scale, I don’t think it’s possible to coach and play, so of course. which is a possibility.
“If I am not managing the team and I am part of the coaching staff, I will continue to play, but if they ask me to manage the team full time, then of course it will be the end of my days as a player, yes.”
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Rooney reiterates his desire to move to management
Rooney added: “We felt like a voice was needed, a person to make team decisions and substitutions during the game and we felt I was the right man for that, so that’s where we are.
“It is exciting for me to do that. Management is always something that I have emphasized and I want to get in, so it is an opportunity to try to choose the right team to get a positive result.
“I played in the last game, but if I’m making decisions about who plays and who doesn’t and obviously preparing the team, I couldn’t give it my full attention and still be a part of the game, so I won’t be involved tomorrow.
“We’ve talked to Steve (McClaren) every day since he came in. He was part of that conversation. The decision has been made and we just have to look forward.
“We have to just focus on tomorrow’s game and then of course the new owners will be there, I’m sure it will be done in the next few days. Once it’s completed there will be talks and we’ll see where it goes.”
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