Wayne Rooney has left Derby County with immediate effect after informing the club he wanted to be relieved of his managerial duties.
The 36-year-old joined Derby in 2021 as a player-coach, before retiring a year later to become manager at Pride Park.
It’s been a period overshadowed by instability off the pitch, culminating in the club being relegated from the Championship as they were unable to make up the ground lost by a 21-point deduction for breaches of accounting rules.
Derby have been in administration since September, leaving Rooney with a young, thin squad to work with. Despite all the issues at the club and that huge deduction, Derby finished only seven points off safety.
Rooney has now stepped down though, believing he is no longer the right man to help navigate the club through an extremely uncertain period.
“Over the course of the Summer I have been closely following developments regarding the ownership of Derby County,” Rooney said in a statement.
“Today I met with the administrators to inform them of my decision that it was time for me to leave the club. In fairness to them, they tried tremendously hard to change my decision but my mind was made up.
“My time at the club has been a rollercoaster of emotions, both highs and lows, but I have to say that I have enjoyed the challenge.
“Personally, I feel the club now needs to be led by someone with fresh energy and not affected by the events that have happened over the last eighteen months. I will remember my time at Derby with great pride and affection and would like to thank all my staff, players and of course the fans for their incredible support. I will never forget you and hope to see you all again in the near future and in happier times.
“Finally, I am aware that the club still have interested parties who wish to take over the running of the club. To them I say this, Derby County is a great club with a great history and great fans. I wish you all the best and much success for the future.”
