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Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
Sport
Bruna Reis

McClaren makes Nottingham Forest point as he addresses Rooney future ahead of Derby County clash

It will no ordinary East Midlands derby when Nottingham Forest take on arch rivals Derby County at the City Ground this weekend.

The Rams are in crisis ahead of Saturday's showdown and fighting for their survival as a football club.

They have been in administration for four months and a proposed takeover has been held up due to a number of key obstacles, notably outstanding legal claims from Middlesbrough and Wycombe Wanderers.

The issue was discussed by MPs in the House of Commons on Tuesday as the EFL was urged to take action in order to avoid the threat of Derby going into liquidation.

On top of this, manager Wayne Rooney has emerged as a contender for the vacant job at his boyhood club Everton.

Rams senior advisor Steve McClaren believes losing their manager would be "unthinkable" for the club after the "unbelievable job" he has done at Pride Park so far.

The 60-year-old former Derby and Nottingham Forest boss confirmed there had been "no approach" from the Premier League side as of Wednesday morning.

The Rams recently climbed off the bottom of the Championship table, having been docked a total of 21 points since entering administration.

"He's doing an unbelievable job at Derby," McClaren told Sky Sports' The Football Show. "What he went through last week, towards the end of the week I was talking to him on the Thursday, there was talk about signings and (Phil) Jagielka coming on board for another six months, maybe eighteen months, planning for the future.

"And then Friday, everything changes. (Graeme) Shinnie goes, Jagielka goes, and he's got a game on Saturday. And how we won that game on Saturday just epitomizes what he’s been doing the last six, seven, eight months. He's galvanised that club, he’s taken control, he's getting results.

"He is a damn good manager. A damn good man-manager, he's managing the situation, he knows what he wants, he's got great respect, great knowledge and is imparting that on the players, and everybody's got a cause, and he's fighting for that cause.

"To lose Wayne Rooney, no, it's unthinkable for any Derby County fan, any player, any member of staff because Wayne Rooney is the leader at Derby County at the present moment.

"And we've a very, very good chance of getting out of what was a miracle situation. He's put Derby County in the situation where they may get out."

McClaren added: "I spoke to the administrators this morning (Wednesday). There has been no approach for Wayne Rooney from Everton at the present moment. So he is a Derby County manager.

"The fans, supporters, everybody connected with Derby wants him to stay there, and he's got a massive, massive game on Saturday against (Nottingham) Forest, and I'm positive, and I know Wayne very, very well, that's his sole focus at the moment."

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