Wayne Rooney Aims For Derby County Permanent Manager Seat

Wayne Rooney (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Wayne Rooney has not dismissed the view that he wants the permanent manager of Derby County following the dismissal of Philipp Cocu last weekend.

Rooney - who also has a contract as a player - will be part of Derby's interim management team with Shay Given, Liam Rosenior and Justin Walker for the match against Bristol City in the Championship League this weekend. Later, club management will further decide on the permanent replacement for Cocu.

"I act like a person without ambition if I sit here and think I don't want the job," Rooney said as quoted by Reuters by Reuters on Friday, November 20.

"Anyone who is pursuing a career as a footballer will one day be faced with two choices: want to become a coaching staff or become a manager soon?" he added.

If in the end Rooney is trusted as Derby manager, he will follow in the footsteps of his former England teammate, Frank Lampard.

Lampard handled Derby for the season in 2018/2019 and led the team to the promotion playoffs before landing a job at his club Chelsea.

Apart from Lampard, several of Rooney's former colleagues in the England national team have also undergone their respective coaching careers, such as Steven Gerrard at Rangers and Scott Parker at Fulham.

"In the last few years I have never hidden my desire to be a manager, especially if you see how Steven Gerrard, Lampard and Scott Parker do a good job," he said.

Rooney continued, "What is clear, the priority now is to achieve good results in the next two to three matches first, if that happens of course my bargaining position will increase in the contestation of the job."

Rooney is currently still under contract as a player and coaching staff at Derby since January 2020, admitting that his career on the field has almost reached the finish line.

"I am no longer in the twilight of my career. My feet have stepped on two compartments in the dressing room, both as a player and as a team guide. We'll see where this will all end," he concluded.

Derby is currently the caretaker of the Championship League standings with a collection of six points from a single win in 11 matches this season.