Rio Ferdinand says manager with 31% win rate would take the Everton job ‘in a heartbeat’

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Speaking on his YouTube channel, Rio Ferdinand has been discussing the possibility of Wayne Rooney becoming the new Everton manager.

Ferdinand, of course, knows Rooney well from their time together at Manchester United and with England, and he reckons that the 35-year-old would be a good choice for Everton, considering the job he’s doing at Derby.

Rooney may have only won 31 per cent of the games he’s managed at Derby, but to boil it down just to numbers would be to miss the point entirely.

Indeed, Rooney has been working under some of the toughest circumstances imaginable at Derby. Players haven’t been getting paid on time, they’ve had 21 points deducted and they’re unable to sign any players.

Despite all of this, Derby are only seven points from safety in the Championship, and Ferdinand believes he’s doing a great job that could see him take the step up to Everton.

What’s Ferdinand said about Rooney?

The pundit gave his view on Rooney and the Everton job.

“Wayne Rooney wouldn’t be a bad shout mate, with what he’s been doing. They won again at the weekend. They’re seven points off of staying up,” Ferdinand said.

Ferdinand was then asked if he thinks Rooney would take the Everton job.

“In a heartbeat, in a heartbeat. If he could have it his way I’m sure he’d say to Everton ‘keep Big Dunc for the interim, let me finish my unfinished business here, and I’ll be there in the summer’.”

Gamble

Ferdinand thinks that Rooney would be a great appointment, but in our view, hiring him would be a gamble.

Managing Derby is one thing, especially when you’re a former England captain who commands immediate respect from players of a certain level, but Everton are a different kettle of fish.

A lot of the players at Goodison Park are his former teammates, and you never know how a player will react to being managed by someone who was viewed as their peer just a few years ago.

Factor in that he’s also never managed in the Premier League, and this could be viewed as a massive risk, but as with any gamble, there’s the chance that it will pay off.