Wayne Rooney speaks out on Everton job and EFL’s expulsion threat to Derby

Wayne Rooney speaks out on the Everton job vacancy and the EFL’s expulsion threat to his Derby County side for the 2021/22 season.

With some much speculation going on this weekend regarding Rooney, it must be hard to know or even keep sane in regards of what to do and how to handle the scenarios being thrown at him lately.

Not only did Rafa Benitez get the sack following a dismal defeat against Norwich City, but a day earlier, Derby learned that they faced a 17 day threat of potentially getting kicked out.

Wayne Rooney has since warned of tough times ahead for the Rams unless things change off the pitch this month.

They have been in administration for nearly four months and the club’s takeover saga is still going on with fans getting impatient.

There are said to be three parties interested in buying Derby and a preferred bidder was expected to be named on Friday, however the EFL popped up again, asking for proof of funds to show that Derby would be able to finish the season.

A transfer embargo remains in place leaving Rooney unable to offer contract extensions to players or bringing in new signings to strengthen his squad.

The manager wanted to extend the contract of Phil Jagielka but the restrictions prevented him from doing so, now Rooney is angry at losing the defender, who has now joined Stoke City.

Derby will also lose Graeme Shinnie having accepted a bid from Wigan for the midfielder, and they could lose more players before the January transfer window closes due to the club’s situation.

Speaking after the 2-0 victory over Sheffield United, Rooney said: “I feared for today, if I am honest.

“Of course the result is excellent, but we need help. It needs sorting as soon as possible because whereas I stressed last week I felt we would stay in this division, if we are in this situation for much longer it will be extremely difficult for us to do it.

“Hopefully before the end of the window something can happen. If not, we could be in big trouble.”

“It’s incredible,” Rooney said on his team’s run of form, being five matches unbeaten in the league while picking up four wins and a draw and now find themselves off the bottom – just eight points away from safety in the table. The Rams would be 11th had they not had that 21 point deduction.

“Myself, Liam [Rosenior], Justin [Walker] and Jason [Pearcey] are working extremely hard to first of all get the team organised and to play football.

“We have seen improvement in every player, I think. I don’t think I am being disrespectful to Curtis [Davies] here, I think this is possibly Curtis’ best-ever season. For someone of that age to still be improving, we are proud of the job we are doing but that only works if the lads buy into it, and every single one of them have.”

“The players deserve a lot of praise, because the last 24, 48 hours have been extremely difficult,” he said.

“To lose two players in Graeme Shinnie and Phil Jagielka who I wanted to keep, have players lined up to come in and not be able to do anything, has been tough, so to put a performance up like they did, they deserve a lot of credit.

“My relationship with all the players is built on trust and honesty, but I can’t look them in the eye where we are at the minute and give them anything really, I can just prepare them and get them ready.

“Any decisions made will be through the administrators. I want to keep all the players, but what I’ve said to them is that, if you want any information if clubs are in there’s nothing I can do, you have to go to the administrators.”

Derby County administrators Quantuma are according to reports on Monday, said to have “spotted a provision” that could ultimately save the club.

They are believed to currently owe a total of £60m to creditors, with ‘unsecured’ creditors typically getting 25% of what they are owed, however Middlesbrough and Wycombe are plotting to go after the club for a combined £50m.

According to The Athletic, Quantuma have “spotted a provision” in the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 whih allows them to significantly reduce Derby’s debts and render the claims from Middlesbrough and Wycombe irrelevant – while Mike Ashley also said to be keen to resolve the latter matter.

There is a proposed plan set to go to the EFL, and in that, it would see the club offer HMRC the same 25% as unsecured creditors and give Middlesbrough and Wycombe nothing.

It also includes a promise that Derby can play out their fixtures for the rest of the season without accepting “low-ball offers” for players.

Middlesbrough and Wycombe are yet to hear from Quantuma since prior Christmas, it is reported.

“We are small potatoes in the bigger scheme of things… but I don’t think it can drag on much longer,” Wycombe chairman Rob Couhig told The Athletic.

“But who knows? I question how long Derby can run without some outside additional funding.

“Until a human being or group is saying they have the money to buy Derby County and it’s here, everybody is just talking. I don’t know that anybody wants to burn any bridges until there is something to burn them for.”

Meanwhile, with all this going on, a host of managers have been linked with the job at Goodison Park and one of them is Wayne Rooney.

The Derby boss is currently happy and focused in his role at Derby, despite the continued financial struggles the Championship club face.

Rooney would however find it hard to say no to Everton if he was approached over the vacancy considering his history and association with the Toffees. There has been no approach as of yet.

Former Liverpool captain Jamie Redknapp believes Everton will be looking at him as a potential replacement for Benitez.

“People are talking about Wayne Rooney, the job he is doing at Derby is out of this world,” Redknapp told Sky Sports.

“The fact that he’s even got them in the position to stay up, this would be the greatest escape of all time.

“Whether he’s the right fit, I don’t know, but these are the options they will be looking at.”

🚨 BREAKING: Wayne Rooney is happy and focused at Derby County, but it is understood he would find it difficult to turn down the Everton job considering his history and association with #EFC. pic.twitter.com/aJ5KJgWahp

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) January 16, 2022

Twitter users reacted as Wayne Rooney speaks out on the Everton job and EFL’s expulsion threat to Derby…

@utdmu20: Stay Wazza. Don’t give up on Derby. Everton aren’t worth it

@1981Carrie: The way they are going through managers the position will be back vacant again in the near future! He won’t be missing anything by staying at Derby for now and focusing on the task at hand – which we would really appreciate sky sports giving some coverage of

@freakypete54: What a job this man is doing at #dcfc and showing great commitment when he could’ve walked. #well done #wazza

@JamesP1884: As a lifelong Everton fan I’d be disgusted by this appointed, we should let him stay at Derby.

@shat90: He gets the team to keep adding points, the EFL keeps subtracting them!

@JayVtid: I’d be surprised if Rooney ditches Derby now when he has the chance to pull off one of the greatest escapes. Give it Duncan Ferguson til the end of the season.

@ToffeeBen96: Big Dunc to steady and bring the passion back, let Rooney keep Derby up and then come to us in the summer is my prediction

@Iuke1875: If Rooney keeps derby up it could genuinely be the best achievement in EFL history

@sarm0161: Going to put it out there that Wayne Rooney is doing an absolutely incredible leadership job at Derby and that he should be a manager of the year candidate.

@FPL_Terrier: I’ve never liked Derby as a club but I really want them to stay up now. I think they could could do it too. Whatever happens, Rooney deserves a lot of credit for how he’s handled things. #dcfc

@sales_toolsUK: Derby county, hold on to that manager and not let Everton swipe him from you.

@EdgeeJ0e: Without a doubt, Wayne Rooney is one of the best managers Derby have had in recent years. #dcfc

@topklobber: For all the shit happening off the pitch Rooney and Rosenior have transformed Derby into all a set of supporters ever ask for… fight… pride and loyalty. Beyond proud… tearfully proud…

@pert_brian: The ONLY Manager that tops Wayne Rooney in terms of unbelievable feats of brilliance is Sir Matt Busby. What Wazza is achieving at Derby County is beyond comprehension. I want that in our dressing room…

@RThorpe1981: Forest lad here, watching Rooney and what he’s doing at that club is just amazing.

@TBlade1889: They deserved the win today and Rooney is doing an incredible job so far this season you have to take your hat off to him and give him credit because a lot of managers would walk away.

@DaleLaneUK: He’s doing wonders for Derby, they deserve to stay up and he deserves credit, fair play. I’m a Forest fan 👋👋

Get it done. pic.twitter.com/tzHLtBLHJn

— Matthew Ringham (@Ringo8781) January 16, 2022

Wayne Rooney after that second goal by Tom Lawrence!

Wazza is doing the impossible ♥️ pic.twitter.com/YSx2vtUHOw

— Atanu (@atanu_74) January 15, 2022