Wayne Rooney assumes Derby coaching role after Cocu’s exit

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Wayne Rooney will be the ‘senior figure’ in the new interim coaching set-up at Derby after the club sacked manager Phillip
Cocu.

Cocu took over from Frank Lampard in the summer of 2019 and guided the club to a 10th place finish in his first season, but Derby are currently bottom of the table after just one win in 11 matches in the current campaign.

Derby captain Rooney is expected to lead training and team selection, with support from coaches Liam Rosenior, Shay Given and Justin Walker.

Rooney has not been named interim or caretaker manager at this
stage, not does not expect the new full-time position to be appointed at Derby until the takeover by Abu Dhabi royal family member Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan is completed.

The impending deal should be finalised by the end of the month and has been approved by the English Football League.

“I am sorry that Philip and his staff have left the club and want to thank him personally for all his help and encouragement as part of his coaching staff,” said Rooney.

“The most important thing now is to stabilise the club and start moving up the table.”

Rooney has made no secret of his desire to be a manager and that is what attracted him to the player-coach role at Derby, which he has been doing since December last year.

He has yet to meet the prospective new owners, and it will need to be a mutual decision if he is to take over as manager long term.

Rooney will want to know more about Sheikh Khaled’s ambitions and plans for the club before he would commit to taking his first job in management at Pride Park.

Vincent Paul