Former Everton defender Andy Hinchcliffe believes Wayne Rooney would be going from 'the frying pan' and 'into the fire' if he succeeded Rafa Benitez at his old club.
Rooney came through the youth ranks at Everton and celebrated a year in charge of Derby a couple of weekends ago as the Rams beat Sheffield United 2-0 at Pride Park.
The former Blues forward has done a remarkable job to help inspire the Rams off the bottom of the Championship despite being hit with a 21-points' deduction this season.
And because of the job Rooney has done at Pride Park, his name has been discussed by Goodison Park chiefs as they continue their hunt for a new manager.
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Benitez became the fifth man to be dismissed by Farhad Moshiri when he was sacked following the Blues’ 2-1 defeat to Norwich City a couple of weeks ago.
And Hinchcliffe believes it would be a far from straightforward decision for Rooney given Derby’s current situation and the love he has for Everton.
He said: “Derby County need Wayne Rooney to stay for two reasons. He’s the best option to keep them in the division and also, for potential purchasers, Derby with Wayne Rooney is a lot more attractive than Derby without a coach or with someone else.
“He’s a huge part of what potential owners would want in the club. It [going to Everton] might be out of the frying pan into the fire.
“Yes, Everton, his boyhood club, he would presumably want to manage them at some point in his career. But Everton are a club in turmoil as well.
"He could help out Derby County by getting off the wage bill and earning them some compensation by going to Everton. But that can’t be the major factor. He’s has to think about everybody. He has to think about Derby and himself in particular.
“I’m sure he never expected to be in this position, let alone dealing with Derby's problems but for the Everton job to come up, it’s just incredible that it’s fallen into place like this.
“It will be interesting to see what he decides. He’s talked about being a fighter and staying at Derby.
"That would be my first instinct, but we’ll see.”
