Rooney is keen to keep Jagielka at Rams
WAYNE Rooney wants to extend the contract of Derby County defender Phil Jagielka beyond the end of this season.
Jagielka joined the Rams in August on a short-term deal that expires in mid-january.
The 39-year-old has become a key figure in a centreback partnership with Curtis Davies.
The club remains in administration and the search for a new owner continues, although administrators have said they expect to drop on a preferred bidder in the next two or three weeks.
Asked about Jagielka’s situation, Rooney told the Derby Telegraph: “Jags knows where we stand.
“The plan with Phil, it is no secret, is to extend his contract beyond the end of this season as well because I think he is a fantastic player, he is in great condition and with his experience he can only benefit the young lads in the dressing room.”
Striker Sam Baldock is also out of contract in mid-january, while the deals of a number of first-team players are up in the summer.
Those players include skipper Tom Lawrence, Kelle Roos, Nathan Byrne, Curtis Davies, Craig Forsyth, Graeme Shinnie, Ravel Morrison, Colin Kazim-richards, Richard
Stearman, Ryan Allsop, David Marshall, Isaac Hutchinson, Louie Watson, Jordan Brown and Lee Buchanan, although Buchanan’s deal has an option of a further 12 months.
“There is almost a full squad out of contract (at the end of the season),” Rooney said. “All these situations with players’ contracts is the reason we need an owner, somebody in to obviously allow me to renew contracts, allow me to bring players into the club.”
Meanwhile, Rooney has called for a change to the situation that is preventing inform young Rams striker Luke Plange from stepping up into the first-team squad.
The 19-year-old took his goals tally to eight for the season with a double in the under-23s’ excellent 5-3 victory over Premier League 2 Division One leaders Arsenal at Boreham Wood on Friday night.
Plange impressed on trial last season and joined the Rams on a one-year professional deal in the summer, having been part of Arsenal’s under-18 set up.
Derby were under a transfer embargo at the time Plange signed for the under-23s, making him ineligible for the first team, as it stands.
Plange still saw joining Derby as an ideal opportunity to develop and he has made rapid progress in a matter of months to be knocking on the first-team door.
Rooney has shown already that he is not afraid to give young players a chance.
“It is great when you see young players coming into the squad and into the starting 11,” said Rooney.
“You see Liam Thompson in the last two games, he has been outstanding.
“You see Luke Plange in the under-23s, again scoring and putting in a very good performance against Arsenal.
“It is a shame I can’t use him for embargo reasons which I don’t understand, if I am being honest.
“We are denying a young player an opportunity which he deserves to come into the first-team.
“I don’t get it, I really don’t. It is disappointing and upsetting for him and for his family.
“If I was a parent of that player I would really think about taking the player out of the football club because there is no progression. Is that what really we want to see? No, it’s not.
“So something needs to happen, something needs to change, and quickly.
“I am all for working with the EFL but what I can’t accept is a young player being able to sign for a football club and not being able to play for the first team, if he deserves to. I really don’t understand it.
“It’s not good. We talk, I talk, other managers talk about developing young players and giving them the opportunity to play but we are denying players the opportunity to play. Surely that is not right.
“Whatever has happened, and I accept mistakes have been made, this club is paying for that with the points, through embargoes in terms of signing players, but don’t deny these young players the opportunity to play. It is heartbreaking.”