Phil Jagielka believes Wayne Rooney could serve as a suitable appointment should Everton decide to part company with Frank Lampard.
The Blues' boss came out fighting at his press conference yesterday afternoon, telling reporters he requires no guarantees over his position at the club and is prepared to continue giving his all to a project he remains committed to. Tonight's fixture away to Manchester United represents an opportunity for Lampard to relieve pressure he is currently facing as Everton look to issue a response to Tuesday's 4-1 humbling inflicted by Brighton.
Rooney is among the names being mentioned as a potential Lampard successor if the Blues' board run out of patience, having last year turned down a interview for the vacant manager's position following Rafa Benitez's dismissal as he aimed to steer Derby County to Championship safety.
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Part of the Rams' squad for the first half of last season, Jagielka witnessed first-hand the managerial ability of the boyhood Blue and is of the view he would succeed if hired by the club.
“Wayne Rooney knows enough about Everton to do his best, only time will tell. It's not an easy fix – Wayne's been in a troubled Derby County setup as part of his managerial career so has got a little bit of an understanding there, but it's the Premier League. It's the hardest division in the world in my eyes," explained the ex-Everton centre-back.
"I'm sure he'd have a good go but Frank [Lampard] is still in the job. We'll never know how well Wayne does until he either gets the Everton job or another job in the Premier League.
“Wayne Rooney was totally different as a player. He was quite single-minded and fired up as a player – that's the way he played his game. As a manager, he was a bit more relaxed. He gets his points across in quite a cool and calm manner, but you could see his love for the game both in being a manager and as a player. As a manager, you understand that you can't go around ridiculously fired up and aggressive all the time. There's time for everything, and he will manage in the Premier League one day and will be successful."
Questions will continue to be asked of Lampard unless results begin to turn in the coming weeks, something the former Chelsea boss requires no reminding of. The 44-year-old has endured a whirlwind tenure since taking the reigns almost one year ago, but Jagielka has insisted the challenges the team have faced will have come as no surprise to Lampard.
“Frank Lampard hasn’t hit his ceiling with Everton, it was always going to be a tough job. The club weren’t doing well when he took over, so it's not a case of he has gone there and he expects everything to be easy and a simple fix," the now Stoke City defender told Sky Bet.
"It was always going to be a tough slog and quite difficult to turn it around. I'm sure he’d have wished and hoped for slightly better results, but the club isn't in the position it was ten or 15 years ago of being stable, the manager being there for a while and everyone knowing what each other is going to do. It's been very topsy-turvy, so there'll be pressure on his job that there always is - especially when you're down the bottom of the table and not performing.”
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