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Manchester United and England legend Wayne Rooney has said that he would still be Derby County's best player if he returns to playing.
The 36-year-old had a glittering career and is the record goalscorer for both club and country. The Manchester United legend is enjoying an admirable spell as Derby County manager.
In an interview with former United teammate Ben Foster, the legendary forward provided his thoughts on if he'd be able to keep up with the current players.
He told Amazon Prime (via Pundit Arena):
“I went into deeper midfield (as I got older). If I’m being honest, I think I could still play now."
The former striker then touched on how he would need to work on his fitness should he start playing again, saying:
“I’d have to lose a bit of weight to do that, but I’ve joined in the sessions a few times, and I still believe I’d be the best player.”
Rooney took over at the Rams in 2020, with the club rooted to the bottom of the Championship. The former Everton striker managed to keep them up despite their crippling financial woes.
However, with Derby entering administration, the club were docked 12 points at the start of the ongoing campaign and then a further nine for breaching EFL rules over the sale of their stadium Pride Park. As things stand, the club are four points adrift of safety.
Nevertheless, Rooney has blossomed despite the negativity around the club. Derby have made up ground on their fellow relegation contenders and now sit just four points off 21st-placed Reading.
During his time at United, Rooney was a huge success. The former England international won five Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, FA Cup and three League Cups. Rooney scored 253 goals for Manchester United and 53 for England.
A documentary on his illustrious career will be released, titled 'Rooney' on Amazon Prime.
Can Rooney's Manchester United experience help Derby stay up?
Wayne Rooney's success at Manchester United may benefit his Derby players as he has the know-how of dealing with high-pressure situations.
He has had many highs and lows: the agonizing defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League finals of 2009 and 2011 to the jaw-dropping overhead kick in 2010 that spurred United towards the Premier League title.
The former Evertonian has also been linked with the Everton and Manchester United jobs, which Rooney has said he would love to take up someday.
For now, the Englishman is focused on helping Derby avoid the drop. His experience may be key in Derby's fight to stay in the Championship. Rooney continues to impress as a manager, and could soon achieve the same success he had during his playing days.
