Wayne Rooney retired as manager of Derby County with immediate effect after 18 months at the helm.
A statement from the Derby website read: “Today, Wayne Rooney informed Derby County Football Club that he wants to be relieved of his duties as first team manager with immediate effect.
Rooney originally joined Rams in January 2020 as a player-coach, but moved to the managerial role after the departure of Philip Koku and suffered an incredible performance in the leadership.
The Rams were relegated to the League One from the Championship last season, but Rooney impressed under almost impossible circumstances – with the club deprived of 21 points for off-field problems and almost a year of selling experience since entering the administration in September 2021, still unfinished .
Rooney, 36, who has been England’s all-time leading scorer during his playing days, told the club’s website: “Over the summer, I’ve been following developments in Derby County ownership closely.
“Today I met with the administrators to inform them of my decision that it is time to leave the club. Honestly to them, they tried very hard to change my decision, but my decision was decided.
“My time at the club was a wave of emotions, both highs and lows, but I must say that I liked the challenge.
“Personally, I think that the club should now be run by someone with fresh energy and is not affected by the events of the last 18 months. I will remember my time in Derby with great pride and love and I would like to thank all my staff, players and of course the fans for their incredible support. I will never forget you and I hope to see you again in the near future and in happier times.
“Finally, I know that the club still has stakeholders who want to take over the management of the club. I tell them this: Derby County is a great club with a great history and great fans. I wish you all the best and much success in the future. “
Derby will play in Ligue 1 next season after being relegated in May
(Getty Images)
Despite a 21-point reduction and forced to rebuild the squad from near zero due to the administration, Rooney led a young, inexperienced Derby team to seven points from the Championship’s safety by the end of the season as they finished 23rd.
This happened after he kept them in the 2020-21 season, after taking the full bottom of the club in the Championship standings in January and six safety points.
After a long-discussed takeover by US businessman Chris Kirchner failed earlier this month, Derby’s chances of leaving the administration before the start of the new Ligue 1 season in late July look slim, and although administrators tried to persuade Rooney to stay, he chose to leave his role.
A spokesman for the general administrators of Derby County Football Club said: “The joint administrators are very disappointed that Wayne made the difficult decision to leave the club and we spent some time today trying to persuade him to stay but understand his reasons for wanting to leave.
“We are extremely grateful to him for his excellent work in the face of the challenging circumstances on the field in the 2021/22 season and we admire the way he leads the team, the club and the local community through various problems off the field. .
“General administrators acknowledge that staff and supporters will be disappointed and equally disappointed by this news, but we all wish him, his wife Colleen and their four boys success in the future and we are sure they will always be welcome again.
“All parties recognize the need to urgently sell the club’s business and assets, and the joint administrators want to reaffirm that Wayne’s departure will not affect these ongoing positive discussions.
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