Wayne Rooney has call full-time on his brilliant playing career, opting to retire in order to become the permanent manager of Derby County, the EFL Championship club announced on Friday.
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Captain. Leader. The greatest.@WayneRooney: The Manager 🐏
— Derby County (@dcfcofficial) January 15, 2021
The 35-year-old starred at the highest level for club and country for nearly 15 years before entering the twilight of his career with moves to Everton, where he began back in 2002, followed by D.C. United and a player-coach stint with Derby before he was named interim boss in November.
Of course, the bulk of Rooney’s career was spent as the talisman for Manchester United, where he scored 183 Premier League goals for the club (plus another 70 in other competitions) in 559 appearances (393 in the Premier League). Wayne Rooney finishes his career as the all-time leading goalscorer in Premier League history (208) and for Manchester United across all competitions.
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Rooney takes the job as Derby manager on a two-and-a-half-year contract set to run through the summer of 2023“When I first arrived back in the United Kingdom, I was completely blown away by the potential of Derby County Football Club. The stadium, training ground, the quality of the playing staff and the young players coming through, and of course the fan base that has remained loyal and supportive.
“Despite other offers, I knew instinctively Derby County was the place for me.
“To be given the opportunity to follow the likes of Brian Clough, Jim Smith, Frank Lampard and Phillip Cocu is such an honor and I can promise everyone involved in the club and all our fans, my staff and I will leave no stone unturned in achieving the potential I have witnessed over the last 12 months of this historic football club.”
Derby currently sit 22nd in the Championship, up two spots from dead-last where they resided as recently as Dec. 8, thanks to their hugely improved form (3W-4D-2L) since Wayne Rooney took over.