Derby County manager Wayne Rooney breaks his silence on the Everton job after being linked with a return to Goodison Park.
Though the Toffees managed to pick up a win against Arsenal and claimed a draw at Chelsea within the last fortnight, but this season has been under par for Everton fans who remain unhappy with the management of Rafa Benitez.
With the Merseyside outfit currently sitting in 14th place in the Premier League, just eight points outside of the relegation zone, the pressure is beginning to ramp up for the Spaniard.
Speculation has been rife in terms of any potential replacement for the former Liverpool boss, with Rooney rising up many pundits’ shortlists amid his time at Derby County.
As you know, Derby were deducted 21 points this season and currently find themselves in administration, a situation that leaves them bottom of the Championship.
Without those deductions, Derby would be six points outside of the drop-zone, with Rooney guiding them to five wins this season.
Despite being linked with a return to his boyhood club though, Rooney has moved to play down any talk of a departure.
“I obviously came up through Everton’s Academy, Everton fan, but I see the reports and I have had no communication with Everton Football Club,” Rooney said.
“As far as I am aware they have got a manager in place, so for me to discuss anything like that, it’s not my place to do that.
“As I have said I am committed to this club. I think it is a credit to the staff, who work extremely hard, that you get linked with jobs, but that’s all it is.
“I have had no conversation with Everton Football Club regarding the manager’s job and so it is not even something I am thinking about.”
🤦♂️ “Give it a rest, come on! That is the blind leading the blind!”
👊 “This is a big boy’s job, Rooney’s a minnow in management terms!”
🤯 “It cannot be a serious notion that Wayne Rooney can manage Everton.”
Simon Jordan was not impressed with the idea of Rooney managing #EFC pic.twitter.com/lupZZcqKHV
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) December 16, 2021
Wayne Rooney also insisted he wants to stay as Derby boss even if they get relegated to League One as he says he would be ‘naive and stupid’ to think he is above managing in the third tier of English football.
‘It would be naïve and stupid to think I am better than League One,’ said Rooney. ‘We will give our all to stay in the Championship but if we are in League One I’m more than prepared to help us get out of that league.
‘I am committed as this is a fantastic opportunity. It was a gamble to put me in charge and I want to repay that faith. You have tough times – that’s life.
‘I am not a person who will walk away at the first sign of trouble. I want to help rebuild, and over the next two or three years there is a chance to rebuild in the right way.
‘I will do everything I can to make sure that happens. I want to be part of rebuilding the whole club from bottom upwards.
‘I am committed to this club and I care for it. I’m grateful for the opportunity to go into management and I am ready to fight. It’s a big challenge but I’m ready to rebuild.’
Rooney also stressed the importance of finding new ownership: ‘It is very important to sort out the ownership. I saw that Chris Kirchner is still interested whether the club is in the Championship or League One, which is great.
‘The deduction makes me feel sad because it’s not the fault of anyone currently at the club. It’s going to be a huge challenge to stay up but anything can happen.’
What are the bookies saying?
Kasper Hjulmand – 3/1
Nuno Espirito Santo – 9/2
Wayne Rooney – 5/1
Frank Lampard – 6/1
Duncan Ferguson – 6/1
Graham Potter – 9/1
Scott Parker – 12/1
Lucien Favre – 13/1
Daniel Farke – 14/1
Jose Mourinho – 14/1
Ernesto Valverde – 14/1
Paulo Fonseca – 17/1
Kasper Hjulmand is a Danish football manager and a former player – but now finds himself the currently head coach for the Denmark national team.
In the Euro 2020, he led Denmark to reach the semi-finals, in which they lost 2–1 after extra-time and a controversial penalty against England.
His coaching record:
Lyngby – 1 January 2006 until 7 July 2008 – 50 games, 14 wins, 12 draws, 24 defeats, 28.00 win %
Nordsjælland – 1 July 2011 until 18 May 2014 – 122 games, 58 wins, 25 draws, 39 defeats, 47.54 win %
Mainz 05 – 18 May 2014 until 17 February 2015 – 24 games, 5 wins, 11 draws, 8 defeats, 20.83 win %
Nordsjælland – 1 January 2016 until 25 March 2019 – 113 games, 43 wins, 31 draws, 39 defeats, 38.05 win %
Denmark – 1 July 2020 until Present – 26 games, 18 wins, 2 draws, 6 defeats, 69.23 win %
Total – 335 games, 138 wins, 81 draws, 116 defeats, 41.19 win %
Fans reacted as Wayne Rooney breaks his silence on the Everton job after being linked with a return to the club…
@StubeStrong: Lampard made the mistake leaving Derby to soon and to big a step to Chelsea
@efcblues1878: Please no! I do not want to have a growing bitterness for Rooney when he inevitably struggles to keep us above relegation.
@mark_lockey: Steve Bruce the only man for the job
@FreddysNewN2_: Everton are a perfect example of how NOT to run a football Club, & it’s gone on for many years. Nothing to do with Rafa. But let’s bring in Rooney, total rookie with zero Premiership experience. These type of decisions are the reason Everton haven’t won anything since 1995 👍🍻
@CJLowndes: I know Wayne Rooney would be a bad appointment as Everton manager. But some part of me wants to see him and Dunc on the sidelines headbutting each other in rage after every poor refereeing decision.
@TheHumbleEgg: Hey @Everton… Just reading this Wayne Rooney stuff. No. Don’t be f**king stupid. Ta…
@MikeyPope94: People talking about wayne Rooney for Everton manager need to fuck right off if we are sacking Rafa just give it to Dunc
@Anthony12028222: Wayne Rooney being linked with the Everton job.. Nowhere near done anything as a coach to justify being linked with the job.. Lunatics running the asylum..
@TheseWanna: Everton rooters on Twitter:
-Benitez to stay: “No; out by tonight”.
-Rooney & Ferguson: “No chance. Too inexperienced”.
-Lampard: “Sacked by Chelsea. Get a grip Moshiri”.
-Some largely unknown handsome Italian or other: “He’s the man”.
@Lfc17ab: he will relegate them 😭😭
@theo_kall: What a terrible appointment that would be.
@thebadmowfo: If decent managers and Raffa can’t do nothing with Everton. How on earth is Rooney supposed to when he’s just got his badges. He’s still wet behind the ears. He is a minnow in the managerial world. Plus what would Big Dunc think he’s been shadowing managers for a while now. Speaking of which with Big Dunc. So far all his shadowing had been “How not to manage Everton”
@WrongSince81: I can guarantee you all – Wayne Rooney will definitely not do a better job at Everton than Rafa Benitez. Give over. Ta.
@AntonioMango4: If I were Wayne Rooney I would think twice about taking charge of Everton at the moment. I know Derby aren’t much better but until that club changes it’s core culture of the club it will never work. Short term success doesn’t result in long term gains all the time

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