Wayne Rooney insists Jason Knight won’t be leaving Derby County in this transfer window.
The Republic of Ireland midfielder, 19, is a man in demand with a number of top flight clubs keen on the Dubliner.
Mirror Sport revealed that West Ham and Crystal Palace were chasing the former Cabinteely youngster who was made Derby captain a fortnight ago.
And Leeds United and Burnley have also been linked with the player who was capped by Ireland boss Stephen Kenny in October.
But despite Premier League clubs hovering in the background, Rams boss Rooney insists the Championship club won’t be cashing in.
Quizzed on Knight’s future today, Rooney cut to the chase and said: “Jason Knight will not be leaving this football club.”
Former Manchester United star Rooney is a huge fan of Knight and previously said: “His energy, his attitude, it almost reminds me of myself when I was younger.
“He has no fear and he has an aggression about him, not in terms of how he’s tackling, but in terms of how he runs, how he gets about the pitch.”
Knight - an ever present in Derby’s team this season - was a late call-up to Stephen Kenny’s senior Ireland squad in October after Covid-19 rocked the camp.
He had been on Under-21 duty in Italy at the time, but re-routed to Helsinki and made his debut off the bench in the Nations League defeat to Finland.
Knight then doubled his caps tally against Wales and started the drawn game at home to Bulgaria with Kenny’s praise ringing in his ears.
