legend admits he entered management with the sole purpose of one day becoming manager at Old Trafford.
The former striker has made a sensational start to his managerial career by giving Derby County a fighting chance of survival in the Championship, despite the Rams operating under a 21-point deduction.
Rooney’s success in the Midlands attracted the interest of former club Everton earlier this season, with the Toffees keen to speak to the 36-year-old over replacing at Goodison Park.
But Rooney turned down the opportunity to speak to his boyhood club as he didn’t feel ready to make the step up to the Premier League, nor that it was the right time to leave Derby.
But Rooney is not short on confidence and believes that if he takes the right steps in management he will one day get his wish of managing United.
‘The whole reason in me going into management is Manchester United. I got offered the job interview for the job,’ .
‘I want to be Manchester United manager. I know I am not ready now but I have to plan everything I do to make sure one day it will happen.’
Rooney joined United as an 18-year-old from Everton in a £30million move and he went on to break the club’s scoring record, with 253 goals for the Reds.
United decided to sign Rooney after his starring role for England at the 2004 European Championships but he’s revealed Sir Alex Ferguson tried to sign him four years earlier, when he was just 14.
‘Sir Alex Ferguson tried to sign me when I was 14. He was on the phone to my mum and dad,’ said Rooney.
‘They said, ‘Alex is on the phone, Manchester United want to sign you’. I said, ‘Tell him to f*** off. I want to play for Everton’.
‘Then as time went on, I knew I had to play for Alex Ferguson. The reason I signed for United was Alex Ferguson.’
, .
, and .
