Wayne Rooney has confirmed that he rejected an approach from boyhood club Everton to be interviewed for their vacant managerial position.
The Derby County boss was on the Toffees' four-man shortlist to replace Rafa Benitez but turned down their advances, leaving favourite Vitor Pereira, Frank Lampard and Duncan Ferguson to duke it out for the Goodison Park hot seat.
"Everton approached my agent and asked me to interview for the vacant job, which I turned down," Rooney explained at a press conference on Friday.
"I believe that I will be a Premier League manager and I believe I'm ready for that 100 per cent, and if that is with Everton one day in the future that'd be absolutely great.
"But I've got a job here to do at Derby County which is an important job to me."
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The 36-year-old broke through at Everton as a player and supported the club growing up, making the decision to reject them as a manager a difficult one.
"Yes, of course I did [think hard about it]," Rooney added. "They got in touch with my agent and my agent let the administrators know as well. Of course it was a very difficult decision for me."
The Toffees have been searching for a new boss for almost two weeks, having sacked ex- Liverpool manager Benitez after just 200 days in charge following their shock 2-1 defeat at strugglers Norwich City.
Owner Farhad Moshiri is now flying into London to hold talks with Pereira, Lampard and Ferguson, with the latter overseeing last Saturday's 1-0 loss at home to Aston Villa.
Pereira, who has already been protested against by fans, caused a stir earlier this week by giving an interview to Sky Sports News in which the Portuguese lifted the lid on negotiations.
"I had a few interviews - not just one," explained the former Fenerbahce boss. "More than one interview with different people at the club.
"We discussed everything. I discussed with different people in the club and on the board.
"I gave them my point of view about the club and what I think about the team, because they asked me to come, Moshiri and Bill Kenwright and other people in the club.
"What I felt from the club, I think they were enthusiastic [about] what I proposed to them: an intensive game, a pressing game, a game with possession.
"We need to give confidence again to the players and the team. We need to approach the fantastic supporters to the team again.
"This is what I proposed to them and what I felt in the meetings is that they were very positive with the interviews. The feedback from the interviews was good feedback."
