Plenty of big names have featured at Derby County over the years, but there are perhaps few quite as iconic as Wayne Rooney.
Announced in August 2019, the former England star was set to join the Rams in January 2020 at the end of his contract with DC United.
He made his debut at Pride Park on January 2, 2020, in a game against Barnsley where he picked up an assist in a 2-1 win.
Fast forward a couple of years and many wouldn’t have predicted what came next for the legendary player, who oversaw a move into coaching, a position as manager and administration before eventual relegation.
It was a rocky period that seemed a lifetime ago for many Derby fans, who may well overlook the record that the former player and manager had at the club.
So with that said, here’s a look at Wayne Rooney’s record at Derby as both a player and a manager.
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Wayne Rooney’s player record at Derby County
In his time as a player at Derby, Rooney spent two separate half-seasons with the Rams attempting to help on the pitch.
The experienced star played at the base of the midfield, often spraying passes with extreme precision, but perhaps struggling when it came to the pace of the game.
There were some moments where his quality shone through though, not least a 1-0 win over Norwich City where a direct free-kick flew in to earn a vital victory.
Over his short stint with the Rams, Rooney played 35 games in all competitions – 30 of which were in the Championship with the rest in domestic cup competitions.
That came with seven goals and three assists, along with three yellow cards in total before he ended his playing career.
His final game came in a 3-0 defeat to Middlesbrough, which prompted the dismissal of Phillip Cocu as manager.
| Matches played | Wins | Draws | Defeats | Win rate % |
| 35 | 12 | 6 | 17 | 34% |
Wayne Rooney managerial record at Derby County
In November 2020, Rooney made the switch to become interim manager alongside Liam Rosenior as the replacements for Cocu.
That was made permanent in January 2021, when he helped guide the Rams to survival on the final day with a draw over Sheffield Wednesday.
While the side were looking to kick on, what followed was administration and a 21-point deduction that hindered that progress.
Relegation was firmly on the cards but Rooney and his threadbare squad pushed until they no longer could, confirming a drop to the third tier in April 2022.
Rooney left a few months after, stating fresh energy would be required to help rebuild a club on the brink.
| Matches managed (excludes interim period) | Wins | Draws | Defeats | Win rate % | Points per game |
| 73 | 21 | 18 | 34 | 28.7 | 1.14 |
It was a far from ideal start to management for the former player but it would have shaped plenty of his thoughts moving forward into the career.