ROO’S THE BOSS
Striker pledges to follow Gerrard and Lampard path at end of his career
WAYNE ROONEY is keen to move into management when his three-and-a-half-year contract with DC United comes to an end. Manchester United’s record goalscorer has started studying for his UEFA B badge and will continue to work towards gaining his qualifications while he is in America.
‘Football is what I know,’ he said. ‘It’s what I’ve done my whole life. I just think it’s a shame when you see players who’ve had careers like mine, where they’ve been footballers from a young age, you see them finish and they just walk away from the game.
‘It’s a way to keep competing. A lot of players go and do television, which I wouldn’t knock anybody for, but I just feel some of those players have got so much knowledge that it would be better — for the game — if they went into management or coaching.
‘ We have young English coaches and managers now who were high- profile players from England and, in the last 10, 15, 20 years, we maybe haven’t had that.
‘Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have moved i nto management and Michael Carrick is doing that now and to see him going into the role at United is great.’
Rooney laughs at the idea that he might be a disciplinarian as a manager. ‘It depends on the players,’ he said. ‘A good way to start out as a manager is to, first of all, be honest with your players but also know your players and
know how to manage them. I think man-management is more important sometimes than the training you do.’
Lampard and Gerrard both had glittering playing careers before taking up management this season at Derby and Rangers respectively.
Rooney added: ‘I think it’s brilliant for those two to go into management. I think it’s the right time for young English managers to step forward.
‘Especially in Stevie’s case, he has taken a role he didn’t have to take, Rangers. I was a bit surprised when he took it but fair play to him. It’s a tough job to go into but he’s done brilliantly so far.
‘Frank’s a bit closer to home but the Championship’s a very competitive league and it’s a tough job as well. To get Derby out of the Championship will be tough. I’m sure they’ll both learn from it and, in two or three years, there’ll be clubs in the Premier League coming to try to snatch them away.’