Derby County boss Wayne Rooney has provided an explanation for his decision to turn down the chance to interview for the vacant managerial role at Premier League outfit Everton.

Amid the ongoing search for a replacement for the recently-departed Rafael Benitez, a whole host of tacticians have of course been tipped to take their place in the dugout at Goodison Park over the course of the last couple of weeks.

One such candidate identified by the Toffees hierarchy came in the form of club legend Wayne Rooney, currently in the midst of an impressive debut managerial stint in the Championship with Derby County.

Rooney, however, ultimately came to the decision to knock back the advances of his former employers.

Why? The 36-year-old is of the opinion that he has unfinished business at Pride Park, amid Derby’s efforts to defy the odds in securing Championship survival after being slapped with a whopping 21-point deduction by the EFL:

Lampard on shortlist

Rooney’s confirmation that he has opted against taking up the opportunity to interview for the head coach role at Everton would certainly appear to line up with the latest word on the Toffees’ situation in the media over the course of the last 24 hours.

As confirmed by the reliable Jason Burt of The Telegraph, those in a position of power on the blue half of Merseyside have narrowed their managerial pursuit to just three names.

The tacticians in question? Frank Lampard, Vitor Pereira and Duncan Ferguson.

Latest bookmakers odds on Everton’s next manager:

  • Frank Lampard – 1/3
  • Duncan Ferguson – 6/1
  • Vitor Pereira – 7/1
  • Lucien Favre – 20/1

Check out the football odds market at Bet365 here.

 

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