Wayne Rooney has revealed how he began turning his hand to management while playing under Louis van Gaal at Manchester United.
The former forward has impressed in his first managerial role, despite the turmoil his club Derby County have faced over the last year.
Having gone in to administration and had a total of 21 points deducted this season, the Rams are staring at relegation into League One, and it’s to Rooney’s credit that they have any chance of staying in the Championship.
United’s all-time leading scorer has Derby sitting seven points from safety after 29 games – had they not had the deductions, they would be 16 points clear of danger.
Rooney’s achievements saw him being linked with the Everton manager’s job last month, although the 36-year-old turned down an approach from his boyhood club in order to stay with Derby.
He does appear destined to end up back in the Premier League at some point as a manager as he continues a journey that began at Old Trafford eight years ago.
“When Louis van Gaal came into Man United in 2014, that’s when I knew I wanted to be a manager,” Rooney told the Daily Mail.
“I’d sit in with Ryan Giggs and we’d sit for two or three hours analysing the opposition, coming up with ideas. Then, when I moved back to Everton, I began getting on with my coaching badges.
“I got offered a lot of money to go to China to play, like stupid money — and I know the money in football is crazy anyway — but we’re talking really stupid money.
“But I wanted to go to the States because I always thought my first job was going to be in League One or the Championship. I knew you don’t just go straight into a Premier League job. So I went there to almost get to understand that level of player more.
“That was almost training for me. And when Derby came in, I thought it was the perfect move. I’d get to come back to England, which my family wanted, but I’d be in the Championship. Even learning about small things, like playing Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday, how all the preparations for that work.
“I came in as player coach and didn’t do much from a coaching point of view but I was getting to understand more, how the doctors work, the physios…and then when Phillip Cocu left I felt I’d gained enough from that point of view to put my name forward. It meant I had to retire from playing but I felt ready to do that, and ready to do the job.”
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