Wayne Rooney said he has been sleeping overnight on the couch in his manager’s office as he works overtime to bolster Derby’s threadbare squad. Derby registered three players with the English Football League in time for their Championship opener at home against Huddersfield on Saturday and Rooney remains hopeful of further additions.
Rooney was fearful of being left without a recognised centre-half but Curtis Davies, the former club captain, has re-signed, and the former Sheffield United defender Richard Stearman and former Wycombe goalkeeper Ryan Allsop have also joined. The midfielder Ravel Morrison, Sone Aluko, Sam Baldock and Phil Jagielka are among players who have spent pre-season with Derby and whom Rooney would like to sign.
“I’m hoping we can get them done,” he said. “I know some of them have other offers on the table. I need to keep working to try and get them in and I will do that. I slept on the couch in the office last night [Thursday] and I’ll be sleeping on my couch again in my office tonight, trying to get these players over the line as quickly as possible so that we don’t lose out on them.”
The Derby hierarchy is thought to be in discussions with the EFL over relaxing the conditions of a partial transfer embargo. Under its terms Derby are able to bring in players only on one-year contracts of about £5,000 a week or on half-season loans, and would be permitted only one further signing. Rooney said regardless of the progress Derby make, he would not walk away.
“I’m a fighter,” he said. “I grew up on a council estate in Liverpool, I don’t walk away from challenges easily and I’m grateful to Derby County for giving myself my first job in management. I want to repay [them for] that. I want to stick by these players. They need my guidance and my help to help them get through.”
If the embargo is relaxed, Rooney is also thought to be interested in bringing on loan at least one of the Manchester City striker Liam Delap, who started his career at Derby, and the Manchester United pair Teden Mengi and James Garner.
