Rooney: “We Want To Give Our Fans A Happy Christmas”

Wayne Rooney is ready for ‘a normal week in the Championship’ on the pitch for Derby County over the Christmas and New Year period.

The festive season is, subject to the COVID-19 pandemic, set to be traditionally action-packed up and down the country.

Derby have three games on the fixture list during the holiday season, starting with a home game against West Bromwich Albion on Monday 27th December (3pm kick-off).

They will then travel to Stoke City on Thursday 30th December (7:45pm kick-off) and Reading on Monday 3rd January to round off 2021 and start 2022.

A three game week is nothing new for anyone accustomed to life in English football and Rooney is relishing a busy week of action on the pitch.

Speaking to RamsTV, Rooney said: “I’ve heard a lot of people complaining about the schedule over Christmas and from our point of view, it’s a normal week in the Championship.

“Three games in a week isn’t anything new to us.

“You have Christmas time in the middle of that but in terms of playing three games in a week, that’s not something we can’t handle.”

On the visit of promotion-chasing West Bromwich Albion on Monday, who sit in fourth spot, he added: “We know Monday is going to be a very difficult game.

“West Bromwich Albion are a good team, very difficult to play against and they’re a physical side.

“We have to be at our best, like every week, to get three points. We will come up with a game plan which we think will be right and we will try everything we can to make it a happy Christmas for all the Derby County fans.”

Derby picked up a well-earned point when they travelled across the Midlands back in September.

Rooney’s side recorded a 0-0 draw at the Hawthorns following a resolute defensive display but, in front of the home crowd, he is confident his side what it takes to take the game to the Baggies.

“We have got our game plan of how we want to play but it’s what personnel we fit into that plan, in terms of who is available,” he said.

“That could change by Monday with the COVID-19 situation, of course, but the game plan won’t change.

“We really feel that we can go and get the three points. In the previous game against them this season, we felt a point would be a good result and we got that.

“We tried to stay in the game but we feel we can really hurt them with the players that we have got and that’s what we will try to do at Pride Park.”