ROONEY IS READY TO HANG UP HIS BOOTS

WAYNE ROONEY is ready to call time on his 18-year playing career if he is appointed Derby County’s permanent manager. England’s record goalscorer will oversee today’s home game against Wycombe after being promoted to lead the interim coaching team that includes Shay Given, Liam Rosenior and Justin Walker. Although Rooney — who expects Sheik Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan to complete his £60million takeover at Derby next week — stopped short of announcing his retirement as a player, he made it clear he did not believe he could perform both roles at the same time. That means if he wins the race to be the new boss, which is far from certain, he will stop playing. ‘That possibility (of retiring as a player) is there, of course,’ said Rooney. ‘I want to do this job and I want to go into management. ‘If I manage the team long-term, I don’t feel it is possible to manage and play. If I’m not managing the team, I will continue to play. ‘Right now, though, the focus is on the game against Wycombe. The new owners aren’t here yet, but they are days away from finalising, so I’m focusing on the team. I’m sure I’ll be able to answer these questions better in the near future.’