Wayne Rooney channelled his inner Sir Alex Ferguson in a touching message to Derby County fans after his exit was confirmed.
The former Manchester United forward was confirmed to be leaving Pride Park last week amid the chaos of the East Midlands club’s protracted takeover process. Former assistant Liam Rosenior is set to take interim charge of the side and their attempts to escape League One at the first time of asking for the time being.
Rooney’s departure brings to an end an impressive stint with the Rams, the ex-England striker having kept them in the Championship initially, whilst only a huge EFL points deduction for their administration saw them relegated last term. In all, the 36-year-old oversaw 85 games as Derby boss, winning 24 of those.
Taking to Twitter expressing his gratitude on Wednesday evening, Rooney wrote: “A massive thank you to all the fans, players, and staff at @dcfcofficial for your support over the last three years. This has been one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make in my career.
“Thanks for taking me in as one of your own. Please get behind the next manager and give them what you gave me, trust, loyalty, and unbelievable support. Some great memories I’ll never forget.”
Rooney’s heartfelt message certainly triggered memories of former boss Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure from Old Trafford. The legendary Scot announced that he would be leaving the Red Devils after a trophy-laden 27 years at the helm.
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His final season as Man Utd boss came during the 2012/13 campaign, with his concluding Old Trafford outing coming in the form of a 2-1 victory against Swansea City. Following the game, Ferguson took to the pitch to urge patience for new manager David Moyes.
Speaking after the match - and subsequent trophy lift - he said: "I would like to remind you this club stood by me in bad times, the players and the staff. Your job now is to stand by the new manager."
Of course, Ferguson’s appeals fell on deaf ears with Moyes only lasting eight months of his six-year contract at Old Trafford. His tenure ended disastrously with a 2-0 reverse at the hands of Everton putting paid to the club’s hopes of returning to the Champions League.
Since his sacking, the Red Devils have had a further five permanent managers in charge. Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick have all come and gone, whilst Dutchman Erik ten Hag is the latest man tasked with taking the Old Trafford hotseat and will be aiming to better the Red Devils’ disastrous campaign last term.
Derby will certainly hope that their own search for a successful successor to Rooney will not be as long. The Rams will be aiming to seal promotion from League One throughout the campaign.
