Ferguson tips Rooney to become a successful manager
Wayne Rooney was officially named as Derby County boss on Friday, two months after replacing Phillip Cocu as interim coach.
The England and the Red Devils’ all-time leading goalscorer announced his retirement from playing on Friday after enjoying an incredible career that spanned nearly two decades, winning 16 trophies at
Manchester United
, mainly under
Sir Alex Ferguson’s
reign.
Although
Ferguson
believes his former striker’s decorated career will be an advantage for him, he warned the former England international that results are all that will matter as a coach.
"He is England’s top goalscorer, he is Manchester United’s top goalscorer and he has had a fantastic career as a player and it will give him a starting point,"
Ferguson said on the 'A Team Talk with Legends' panel on Friday.
"But like anyone else it is a results industry and you need to get results. He will know that better than anyone.
"He has had a good start… and he has knowledge of the game, a presence about him and I hope he does well.
"It is a big step for him. He is quite a wealthy young man now with his career in football, so he probably doesn't need to go into management to look after his family, but he wants to do it and that is important.
"There is no point being a manager because someone asks you to be. He went there as a player-coach, he then become player-manager and now he has the manager's job and that's what he wanted. Hopefully he does well.”
England’s manager was also pleased to see
Rooney
joining his former team-mates,
Steven
Gerrard
(Rangers),
Frank Lampard
(Chelsea), and
Scott Parker
(Fulham), as Derby’s manager,
Southgate
said:
"He has had an incredible career. I am pleased we have the likes of Wayne, Steven, Frank and Scott Parker – we don't want too many [Jamie] Carraghers sitting on the sofa because those good football brains are gone from the game.
"What you want from an England perspective is young English managers and ex-players to come in and add to the game and help develop young players.
"Those lads have brilliant experiences and it will be a huge challenge of course, but Wayne loves football, has a fantastic brain for football and I wish I had the chance to manage him five years earlier – not be the one to leave him out of the England squad, I'd rather be the one picking him at his peak."
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