Wayne Rooney is determined to take Derby County forward in the right direction after what is fair to describe as a baptism of fire in the early months of his managerial career.
The former England and Manchester United legend was appointed as Derby’s permanent manager in early 2021, following a spell in charge on a temporary basis towards the end of 2020.
The decision to move into management saw him hang up his boots to focus on the next chapter of his life.
Rooney took over a Rams side at the foot of the Sky Bet Championship table after a poor start to the campaign under former boss Phillip Cocu.
He managed to improve the side’s form and haul them out of the bottom three by the end of December and while injuries hit Derby hard in the second half of the season, notably key duo Curtis Davies and Krystian Bielik, they managed to preserve their second-tier status for another year.
It was not always easy, with goals hard to come by and Rooney admitting his side gave away goals too easily, and it is a learning curve that will stand the Derby boss in good stead for the future.
Rooney knows there’s room for improvement, naturally, following an inconsistent run form in the closing months of the season which meant Derby had to go right to the final match of the campaign to avoid relegation.
The 35-year-old now believes he can help take Derby forward and ensure they avoid a repeat showing next time around.
“As I said when I took this job; I am a confident person, I am confident in myself and confident in the staff that I have got working with me,” Rooney told RamsTV.
“We need to keep on working, I think that is very clear for everyone to see. Our plans we have got in place will help us move forward if we put them into action then we will be in a completely different place next season.
“I believe in myself to develop this team and give us the best chance moving forward.”
Rooney long harboured hopes of stepping into management whilst still playing the game at the very highest level for club and country.
He wants to repay the faith show in him by Derby County and Executive Chairman Mel Morris CBE to give him his first taste of management.
“I am loving it,” Rooney said. “I knew from when I was a very young lad that I wanted to come into management.
“I am very grateful to this football club and Mel Morris for putting me in charge and having faith in me. Now it is on me to repay that and the best way to repay that is to win games.
“I am committed to this club; I feel now we have got through a very tough period and there is a great opportunity now for us to push forward.”
He added: “We need to bring a lot of players in to do that and those plans are underway and. If we do that, if we can get the players in that I want, then the future is very bright.”
“I think it is important, not just for myself, but for the other staff and the players as well to make sure they get a rest,” Rooney explained.
“It has been two years now without a real block of time to rest so they have to do that then make sure they come back at the start of July ready to work.”
Rooney spoke publicly about his confidence on several occasions that Derby would avoid relegation.
A 3-3 draw at home to Sheffield Wednesday on the final day of the season, in a game full of thrills and spills, was enough to see the Rams over the line.
It was an emotionally draining afternoon for players, staff and supporters as Derby came back from behind twice and also had to rely on fellow strugglers Rotherham United dropping points at Cardiff City.
Rooney, who played at the very highest level and in some of the biggest games in club football for the majority of his career, has admitted the final day showdown with the Owls was as big as any of the matches he played in.
Rooney said: “I believed we would stay up, but obviously it was a bit closer than I would have liked!
“It was a crazy last game of the season, but you can tell when you have a good group of players who are working and who are trying to do the right things. I knew that the players could get through it and thankfully, they did. If I did not believe it, I would not say it.
“Seeing the lads every day in training, the training sessions were really good. They were working and they did keep the belief.”
He added: “As manager, it is as big as anything I have been involved in.
“I knew what was at stake for the football club, the fans, for the staff that work at the club. It was a huge game and the one thing you have to do is set the team up and then you are relying on those players to go out onto the pitch to get the result that is needed.”
