Derby County defender Curtis Davies believes reports linking manager Wayne Rooney with a return to Premier League giants Everton may have been overblown, speaking to talkSPORT (18 January, 9.50am).
After successive points deductions, the departure of numerous key players, uncertainty off the field and major cash flow problems, the last thing Derby fans need is to see their talismanic head coach walk away in the midst of a gruelling relegation battle.
According to The Sun, Toffees hero Rooney is one of the leading candidates to take Rafa Benitez’s place in the Goodison Park hotseat.
And while this may feel like a classic case of too-much-too-soon – Rooney wouldn’t be the first club legend in recent years to taint his legacy upon returning to his old stomping ground – no one should underestimate just what a remarkable job the former England captain has done at Pride Park.
The fact that Derby could still stave off the threat of relegation, despite being docked 21 points this season, speaks volumes.
The embattled Rams have won four of their last five Championship games. And, after beating Sheffield United 2-0 on Saturday, they moved off the bottom of the table for the first time this term.
In fact, if you added that 21-point deduction onto Derby’s current tally, a squad made up largely of 30-something veterans, academy kids and journeymen would be a top-half team.
Would Wayne Rooney leave Derby County for Everton?
“I wouldn’t know,” said experienced defender Davies when asked about Rooney’s future in the East Midlands. “I don’t think I’d be disrespectful enough to ask the manager directly.
“But I think it’s kind of trying to put two and two together. In terms of ‘Everton have no manager’ and ‘a former Everton legend is doing really well’.
“Where it goes from here, I don’t know. But it’s for us to not worry about that.
“The manager is here and he’ll be preparing us for the weekend’s game (against rivals Nottingham Forest) as always.”
Who will be Everton’s new manager?
The lure of Everton may be difficult for Croxteth-born Rooney to ignore. But the former Old Trafford hero has made it clear on numerous occasions that he is committed to crisis-hit Derby.
It’s not really Rooney’s style to shirk a challenge. And guiding Derby out of the relegation zone would be an achievement capable of launching the 36-year-old as a genuine managerial prodigy.
Though, at this stage, former Toffees boss Roberto Martinez appears to be the number one choice.
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