Derby city council ‘ABANDON plans to hand Wayne Rooney the freedom of the city’
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Plans to hand Wayne Rooney the freedom of Derby City are ABANDONED after he resigned as club manager just a month after a council vote to honor him for his ‘loyalty’ to the team.
- Wayne Rooney kept Derby in the Championship in his first season as manager
- They offered him the freedom of the city at that time in gratitude for his ‘loyalty’
- Offer ‘has now been rescinded’ after Rooney’s switch to manage DC United
Derby city council “rescinded their offer to give Wayne Rooney the freedom of the city” after he left the Rams to manager DC United.
The former Manchester United man kept Derby in the Championship in 2021, but left the club the following summer after they were relegated following a 21-point penalty for breaching financial rules.
At the time, Councilor Jonathan Smale suggested offering Rooney the prestigious award as a token of appreciation for his ‘loyalty’ and for ‘uplifting the hearts and minds of fans’.
Derby City Council has rescinded its offer to give Wayne Rooney the freedom of the city.
The former Manchester United striker spent two years at Pride Park as player-manager and manager
However, the offer now appears to be off the table, with the athletic reporting that the council has ‘moved on’ after losing ‘touch’ with Rooney following his move to manage DC United.
Rooney took charge of the MLS team just weeks after stepping down as Rams boss and initially struggled in America when United finished bottom of the Eastern Conference, after winning just two of 14 games under the 37-year-old. years.
He recently gave his players a moving speech vowing to do better in the 2023 season, which begins in February.
In a statement made to The Athletic regarding Rooney, councilor Mick Barker said: “The time has passed.”
Council say it has been ‘difficult to keep in touch’ with Rooney since he left the club
He was previously offered the award as a token of appreciation for his ‘loyalty’
‘The current progress made by the team and the coach [Paul Warne] The subsequent ruling on the administrative order makes it difficult to revive the process if Mr Rooney returns to the UK. The club, the city and Mr Rooney have moved on.
After initially joining Derby as player coach, Rooney became interim time manager while still playing in November 2020, before hanging up his boots in January 2021 to become permanent boss.
He scored seven goals in 35 games during his time with the club.
The club have enjoyed a resurgence this season and are bidding for promotion back to the Championship after moving up to fourth in League One.
They will have a chance to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup on Monday night when they take on West Ham at Pride Park.
