Derby County receive Wayne Rooney boost amid Everton latest | OneFootball

Wayne Rooney reportedly rejected the chance to be on Everton’s shortlist for a new manager.

The Toffees are currently on the search for a head coach for the side after the dismissal of Rafa Benitez earlier in the month.

Derby County boss Rooney was said to be one of the top candidates and it was reported that the club were looking to interview their former player for the position.

However, according to the Mirror, Rooney has rejected the chance to take that interview as he has asked the club to not be considered for the position.

Rooney was reportedly unwilling to enter into the ‘beauty pageant’ alongside the likes of Frank Lampard and Vitor Pereira.

Everton are now set to do another set of interviews with the previously mentioned candidates, with interim boss Duncan Ferguson also supposedly penciled in for a meeting with owner Farhad Moshiri.

Rooney will now stay with the Rams where he is currently attempting to guide the club out of an almost impossible situation.

The club have been in administration for the last four months and face liquidation if certain deadlines aren’t met in the next few weeks.

Quiz: Did any of these 25 ex-Derby County players ever get a red card during their time at the club?

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Did ex-Derby player Richard Keogh ever get a red card during his time at the club?

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Derby received a 21-point deduction for going into administration and yet Rooney’s side have clawed their way into a survival scrap.

Their recent form has seen them climb above Barnsley in the table as the gap to 21st place Reading is now only eight points.

Up next for Derby is the visit of Birmingham City to Pride Park on January 30.

The Verdict

Rooney has stepped away from the circus going on at Goodison, which is the best move for him at this stage of his career.

While it would surely be a dream for him to manage his boyhood club, it’s just not the right time for him to leave Derby or join Everton.

If he can stay the course with the Rams and keep them in contention for Championship survival, he will continue to receive the kind of recognition that got his name circling around the Everton job in the first place.

Rooney remains so inexperienced that taking the step up to a major Premier League side would simply be too big a task and too big a risk.