Wayne Rooney has made an honest admission about his aspirations for the Manchester United job.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, the Red Devils all-time top scorer admitted that the pinnacle of his coaching career would be to manage either Everton or Manchester United. Rooney was offered the Toffees job after the dismissal of Rafa Benitez but declined the approach to stay at Championship strugglers Derby.
Instead, Frank Lampard was appointed, who now faces the tough task of trying to guide Everton away from relegation. This is the former England midfielder’s first role since being sacked as Chelsea boss in January 2021.
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Rooney, while discussing his future in management, used the example of Lampard when explaining why he turned down the Everton role and why he would be hesitant about taking the United job if an offer came in. "There are two clubs: Everton and Manchester United. I'm an Everton fan, I was at Man United for 13 years,” he said.
“I feel if I keep doing what I'm doing, keep learning, keep improving, those two clubs one day in the future I'd love to go and manage.
"You've got to trust in yourself and believe in yourself. Of course there will be temptation there. There might be offers that come in and you think, ‘I'm going to go for that’.
“But you need to be in the right place and I believe I'm in the right place. I'm developing as a manager, developing as a coach and I'm learning."
He added: "I understand when Frank Lampard went to Chelsea, it's so difficult to say no. But when you go into one of these big clubs you need to make sure it's the right time and you're able to develop and take that club forward.
“I got approached by Everton to interview for the manager's job but I'm in a job, I'm still learning and I felt it wasn't the right time." After being hit with a 21-point deduction due to financial irregularities, Derby look likely to be relegated to League One this season after surviving the drop on the final day of last year.
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