What Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock told Wayne Rooney after win over Derby County at the Riverside

Warnock will come up against Wayne Rooney’s Derby County side this weekend when Middlesbrough travel to Pride Park in the Championship.

Rooney took permanent charge of the Rams last year, while his former England team-mates Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard have also stepped into the dugout.

“I think it’s brilliant. I’ve got a lot of time for those lads,” said Warnock. “I know Wayne Rooney’s on big money, and he’ll have sponsorship deals and all sorts, but it would be easy for him to say, ‘I don’t need football management’ and go and do something else. He doesn’t need the hassle, but I think it’s fabulous that he wants to do it.

“Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard – we need English lads and young English coaches coming into the game. They probably haven’t got the pressure that other young managers have got because of their financial situation, but the pressure for them is that their reputations are at stake.

“They’ve got big reputations and they want to do well to show people how good they are. I think it’s great me.”

Rooney’s last game as a player came against Boro when Derby were beaten 3-0 at the Riverside in November.

Warnock added: “I said to Wayne when he played against us up here, ‘I do wish you all the best son if you take over – but my advice would be to pack in! And I think he did pack up playing that day.”

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