Derby County’s Jayden Bogle has told RamsTV how Wayne Rooney is a massive inspiration and training with the former Manchester United man has taken some getting used to.
Rooney will officially become a Derby player in January on an 18-month deal.
In the meantime, the former England international forward has been training with the Rams and has been in the dugout from a coaching perspective for the past two matches.
Speaking to RamsTV, Bogle admits it was quite overwhelming to begin with.
He’s been talking to the lads, sharing his experiences on and off the field. It’s been good. It was strange for me at the start. I’ve watched him score many goals throughout his years playing football and he was a massive inspiration for me growing up. It’s all sunk in now but at the start it was quite overwhelming.
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Rooney’s arrival could prove a turning point for Derby in what has been a tough period.
The Rams have had to deal with an off-field incident which dominated headlines and several injuries to key players. This has had an evident effect on the pitch.
Derby’s form is poor. Phillip Cocu’s side have managed just 20 goals in 20 games. They haven’t won away since the opening day, losing their last five games on the road.
Rooney will come in next month and help provide a create spark. His presence will be beneficial to Martyn Waghorn and Jack Marriott, with the latter especially struggling for goals.
Rooney will likely play as a number 10 in a Derby shirt. However, it remains to be seen what happens to the likes of Tom Lawrence and Kieran Dowell who both occupy a similar role.
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