Wayne Rooney admits he turned down the Everton job in favour of sticking with Derby County
- Sean Fisher
- 28 January 2022
Wayne Rooney has revealed that Everton approached him for the vacant manager role, but he decided to turn it down.
In Friday's press conference, Wayne Rooney revealed that despite being approached by Everton regarding the managerial vacancy, he turned it down.
The former Everton player had been heavily linked with replacing Rafael Benitez at Goodison Park, with the 16th-placed Toffees in dire need of leadership.
However, Rooney opted against taking the step up to the Premier League, insisting he "has a job to do" at Derby County.
The Rams have been plagued by financial problems this season, and following a 21-point deduction, they now sit 23rd in the Championship.
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The club's existence is currently hanging by a thread, and they were recently given a month by the EFL to prove they have the finances to finish the season.
Despite the off-field misery, Rooney deserves plenty of credit for the job he has done on the sidelines of Pride Park this season, with his side now just six points from safety.
As for Everton, they'll now turn their attention towards a new managerial target, with Frank Lampard heavily linked with the role.
Regarding his decision, Rooney said "Everton approached my agent and asked me to interview for the vacant job, which I turned down.
"I believe I will be a Premier League manager. I believe I'm ready for that, 100 per cent. And if that is with Everton one day in the future that would be absolutely great.
"But I've got a job here that I'm doing at Derby County which is an important job to me."
While Rooney eventually rejected the offer, the 36-year-old admitted it was a hard decision to make.
"They got in touch with my agent, my agent let the administrators know as well, and yes of course it was a difficult decision for me" Rooney said.
