“I think he’s a bloody fool” – Simon Jordan hits out at Manchester United hero Wayne Rooney for leaving Derby County

Former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan has slammed Wayne Rooney after the Manchester United legend decided to leave Derby County.

Rooney was manager of Derby for two years, having taken over as caretaker boss in November 2020.

His first season in charge at Pride Park was impressive as he managed to keep his side in the Championship amidst uncertainty around the club.

The Red Devils icon was given the job permanently in January 2021 with a huge job on his hands.

Financial complications were plaguing the Rams and Rooney led his side into the 2021-2022 season with a limited squad consisting of mostly young academy players.

Alongside this, Derby were hit with a 21-point penalty due to entering administration throughout the campaign, which in turn led to the side's relegation to League 1.

But Derby performed admirably under Rooney's guidance and if it weren't for the points deduction, the Rams would have staved off relegation.

However, Rooney has opted to leave the side as he believes there should be a fresh face managing the Derbyshire outfit.

Simon Jordan has taken issue with the Manchester United legend's decision, calling the former England captain a 'fool'.

He told talkSPORT:

“He will have learned a lot from this.”

Jordan continued:

“Someone asked me earlier on if that means he’s a shoo-in for a Premier League job. They’ve bumped their head. He’s nowhere near that. I’d be surprised if Wayne got another Championship job any time soon. I think he’s a bloody fool. You’ve got a club that’s dropped into League One with 28,000 fans that are going to be galvanised up the ying-yang."

---

Simon Jordan criticizes Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney's decision with a new owner on the brink of taking over

The Manchester United legend has opted to leave Pride Park

Clowes Developments have been named the preferred bidder for Derby and their new potential owner will be David Clowes, a Rams fan (per DerbyTelegraph).

He purchased Pride Park Stadium from Mel Morris. Simon Jordan also touched on the new ownership, saying:

“You’ve got an owner that’s coming in there – he’s bought the stadium too, so he’s not mucking about – I think he [Rooney] is a fool.

He continued:

“If he thinks his currency’s going to get better somewhere else, because it’s a bit more difficult in League One and it might need a bit more manoeuvring and manipulating."

Jordan believes the Englishman would have had an opportunity to be part of a rejuvenated Derby side in League One.

“League One is not a division full of quality. If Derby can get some players, in the short-term, into the building and build upon it with 28,000 fans and the momentum behind that, you’ve got to be out of your mind [to leave]. That’s the place to stay.”