Rooney isn’t next line, but will Man Utd call at some stage?

From a stunning first senior goal against Arsenal (who were wearing red) that introduced him to the world, to representing England in the very early stages of his career against Australia in 2003 (donning a red jersey) and making history at Manchester United (often in red), it's evident that Rooney has had a penchant for one particular color.

That has, in the present, been briefly switched to white – another personal favorite as England’s all-time leading goalscorer – with managerial teeth being cut at Derby County. A testing time for the Rams has them priced at 400/1 to earn promotion this season according to current 

 on the outright football markets, but a return to the Premier League was never a realistic target in 2021-22. A points deduction has made safety a top priority at Pride Park.

are not going to focus too strongly on one corner of the East Midlands, but they could do in time. Could that eventually lead to Rooney retracing his steps to familiar surroundings?

Rooney has his side well on course to hit that target, with only four defeats suffered through the club’s opening 15 games. To put that into perspective, only the top three in the division boast a better record at the same stage. A fighting spirit that once made Rooney one of the most fearsome forwards in world football has been transferred to those at his disposal in a coaching capacity. Questions of his ability to lead from the touchline, rather than by example on the pitch, are being answered in style.

Is Rooney a Man Utd manager of the future?

There remains a good chance that a managerial role will open up at

at some stage in the near future. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is clinging to that post at present, but his grip could slip if consistency remains elusive.

If a change were to be made, then the expectation is that United would favor the tried and tested approach for their next appointment. At the very highest level, experience counts for plenty. Rooney, as yet, lacks those qualities as a coach – while the likes of Steve Bruce, Mark Hughes, Paul Ince, and Roy Keane have shown that United are not the most sentimental of clubs.

Our gaffer 🖤

😁📸

— Derby County (@dcfcofficial)

For him, there are still a few more rungs of the ladder to climb. While he has followed the lead of ex-England team-mate Frank Lampard by taking the reins at Derby, he is unlikely to be fast-tracked as quickly as his former colleague, who ended up at Chelsea after one year in the second tier.

Rooney will want to

by linking back up with a Premier League giant that made him a superstar, but he is a long way down that queue at present. That situation could change quickly. If a full recovery at Derby is overseen, allowing them to become promotion contenders once more, then top-flight clubs will come calling. From there, anything is possible.

As one Merseyside native in the form of Steven Gerrard continues to see a return to roots mooted at Liverpool, Rooney may well end up back in Manchester if he can prove himself deserving of a second spell at the Theatre of Dreams.