When Wayne Rooney left for the MLS in June of 2018, we never thought we would see him play in English football again. He was a shadow of the great player he had once been, and the Premier League seemed beyond his grasp.
While it was assumed that he would see out the rest of his playing days in America, it appears as though he could be on his way back to this side of the Atlantic.
The Telegraph are reporting that Rooney is in discussions over a move to Derby County, where he has been offered a player/coach role. After Frank Lampard's departure last month, the club are now under the tutelage of former Barcelona player Philip Cocu.
Discussions are ongoing between the player's agent and the club. Rooney has one year left on his deal with DC United, but it is likely they would allow the player to leave if he chose to do so.
This could be an excellent opportunity for Rooney to cut his coaching teeth, having expressed an interest in management in the past:
I'm taking the steps to get my badges completed and when I finish playing I'll see what opportunities come up.
There's already offers which have been made, but at the minute I'm still a player and I want to enjoy playing, and then I'll see which offers are right when I do finish.
In terms of the playing side of things, it would interesting to see how Rooney got on in the Championship. It is a very physical league, but you could certainly see him having an impact. He would also be a huge presence in the dressing room for a Derby team pushing for promotion to the Premier League.
