Jordan withdraws ‘minnow’ claim as Rooney is ‘coming of age’ at Derby

Simon Jordan has acknowledged that Man Utd legend Wayne Rooney is “coming of age” as a manager at Derby County.

The Englishman has been Derby’s boss since November 2020. He has had to deal with a lot over the past couple of years as the Rams are going through financial turmoil.

Their future remains in doubt as they are still in administration. Despite this, they have fared well on the pitch under Rooney.

Wayne Rooney only man emerging from Derby debacle in credit

Derby were deducted 21 points this season but they miraculously have a chance to avoid the drop. They currently sit 23rd in the table and they are seven points adrift of safety.

They have won eight games in the Championship this term and if it were not for their points deduction, they would be 16th in the table.

Earlier this season, Jordan was bemused by suggestions that Rooney should be Everton’s next manager:

“I mean this is a grown up football club,” Jordan said in December.

“It may not act or behave that way sometimes under [Farhad] Moshiri’s ownership. It doesn’t have financial control, any youth development policy or any achievement on the pitch or any managers that bring any success.

“But come on, that is the blind leading the blind. The observation I made about Wayne is the reality of the circumstances in which he was performing.

“Now you have to look at it and say this is a big boy’s job. He’s not a manager for this job, he’s a minnow.”

Jordan has now praised Rooney though. He has conceded that the Derby boss could “eventually become a decent manager”:

“I didn’t like the beginning of the season, and his conduct on a personal level,” Jordan said (via talkSPORT).

“You have to grow up and be a man, but you now look at it and say wow, 36 points they would have had, they’d have been 16th in the league, but with no direction and advice around them, and no budget.

“I have to say well done, for the adversity his team is under and I generally hope that Derby get out of this mess, they are now together in a unit with high spirits, and I hope they stay up. You have to give credit to Rooney, I think he has done well.

“You have to give credit where it is due. He is coming of age and growing in confidence, and maybe he will just prove me wrong and show that he can eventually become a decent manager.”