3/1 To Win
Wayne Rooney is looking forward to getting the 2021/22 season up and running this weekend.
Derby will get the new Sky Bet Championship season started with a home fixture against Huddersfield Town on Saturday afternoon (3pm kick-off).
Rooney’s side narrowly avoided relegation at the end of last term, staying up on the final day in dramatic circumstances in a 3-3 draw against Sheffield Wednesday, but the Rams’ boss sees the upcoming campaign as a fresh start.
Derby will be boosted by the return of the club’s supporters for a competitive fixture at Pride Park Stadium for the first time since March 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Rooney can’t wait for kick-off to come around.
“It is the start of a new season for us,” Rooney told RamsTV. “We have a few new faces in the building, I would want a few more ideally, but I am happy to have some fresh faces in.
“We have quite a few young lads with us again, who are developing all the time. It is an exciting time for us and we are back at Pride Park.
“It is a challenge, to be at home and with fans back in, so we are all looking forward to it.”
He added: “This is my first game as a manager in a competitive game at Pride Park with supporters, which is great.
“I am excited, I can’t wait for it. It will be a big day for us and hopefully we can get three points.”
Rooney added out-of-contract trio Curtis Davies, Richard Stearman and Ryan Allsop to his squad on Friday to bolster the ranks ahead of the clash with the Terriers.
The Derby boss has urged the club’s supporters to get right behind the squad as they look to start the season in a positive manner.
“I am doing everything I can for this club and I will continue to do that,” Rooney said. “My coaches are doing everything they can for this club too and they will continue to do that.
“The staff around the building; there are people who have been here for 20 years, 10 years, some five or even one, and they are doing everything they can to help this club grow.
“All I ask is that the fans get behind the players, because they have been excellent. They all want to play for this football club, they are working every single day to produce on the pitch.”
He added: “Whatever else is going on; support the players, because they are giving everything they can to make sure this club moves forward.”
Derby’s squad reported back for pre-season training in July and played five friendly games in total as part of their preparations for the campaign.
As well as a behind-closed-doors clash against Fulham, the Rams also faced Manchester United, Salford City, Real Betis and Notts County.
Rooney was pleased with the work that he managed to get through with his players during that time.
“I have been delighted with pre-season; I thought it went great,” he said.
“The performances in pre-season were really good. We have been working on a way of playing and not just with the lads who will look to start the games, but the younger ones too.
“They have shown me a side to them that I have been really impressed with.”
Carlos Corberán’s Huddersfield were beaten 2-0 at Pride Park back in February and Rooney would certainly take a repeat result this time around.
The Rams’ boss believes his side are ready, but he knows they will face a tough opponent that will also be looking to get their season started with a victory.
“Huddersfield are a very good team with a good manager,” he said.
“They have a difficult style of play to go up against, so we know it will be a very difficult match and we have to be at our best to take anything out of it.
“We are prepared, we are ready. The players are ready, the training sessions are done, the meetings are done. We are ready for the game tomorrow and we will give our best to try and get a positive result.”
