Wayne Rooney to return to English football as Derby County player-coach
The former England captain says his priority is to play, and he will do so "until my body says I can't do it anymore".
Tuesday 6 August 2019 20:01, UK
Wayne Rooney is returning to English football as a player-coach at Derby County - describing the opportunity as "too great for me to turn down".
The former England captain told reporters that playing for the Championship side was his initial priority, but he had "always" wanted to be a manager.
"First of all I'm a player," he said. "I've got a lot of quality I can bring to the squad.
"It's football, it's what I've done all my life, and it's what I love. Until my body says I can't do it anymore, I'll keep doing it."
For now though, he appears to be feeling good, commenting: "I've played the whole season in the States."
Asked what position he will play, Rooney added: "I can play in midfield or as a striker. I'm sure in certain games that might change."
Regarding the coaching role, he said: "I want to learn off Phillip [Cocu - Derby manager] and his staff to gain experience for when I do stop playing and take that next step."
He said it was "great to see" Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard going into management, and he "always had an ambition" to do the same.
Rooney will start with Derby in January, allowing him to finish the current Major League Soccer season with DC United.
He said DC United had been "fantastic to me" and it would be "disrespectful to them if I didn't finish the season and try and help us get into the play-off spots and win a trophy".
Discussing the move back to the UK, Rooney said he'd had a "decision to make", adding: "The opportunity to come back to England and play but also to take up a coaching role and work under Phillip Cocu was too great for me to turn down.
"Delighted to be back and to come back in January and help the team push for promotion."
He has signed an 18-month contract that can be extended until the end of the 2021-22 season.
Cocu said Rooney was a "great signing" and that a "player with his quality and experience is absolutely a big asset for the club".
Rooney is reportedly convinced that Cocu has a similar approach to former Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal, who he was a big admirer of.
Other clubs had expressed an interested, he said.
Dutch boss Cocu took over last month and the 48-year-old secured a victory in his first league match in charge, winning 2-1 away at Huddersfield on Monday night.
Rooney, who retired from England duty after 53 goals in 120 appearances, has been in Washington since a second spell at boyhood club Everton came to an end last summer.
The 33-year-old enjoyed a glittering career in English football before heading across the Atlantic, winning 16 major titles during more than a decade with Manchester United.
His haul at Old Trafford included five Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the Champions League - and he left as the club's all-time record scorer with 253 goals.
Joining Derby will see him get his first taste of the second tier of English football, and he will be hoping to help guide the club back into the top flight after more than 11 years away.
The Rams missed out on promotion to the Premier League by losing the play-off final to Aston Villa in May - and have since seen manager Frank Lampard return to old club Chelsea.