Rooney set for ‘sensational’ Everton return if Benitez is sacked

Joe Williams
Former Everton striker Wayne Rooney as Derby manager

Everton will look to make Wayne Rooney their new manager if they choose to sack Rafa Benitez, according to reports.

The Spaniard joined the Toffees in the summer with a top-class pedigree but there were some dissenting voices from the fanbase over his association with arch-rivals Liverpool.

And things have not gone to plan for Benitez recently with just two wins in their last 12 Premier League matches after picking up ten points from their first four matches.


Six reasons a Premier League game has been abandoned


Everton sit 14th in the Premier League table, seven points off the relegation places and, despite Farhad Moshiri’s recent vote of confidence in Benitez, they must be considering their options.

And now The Sun claims that Derby County boss Rooney ‘could make a sensational return’ to Everton if Benitez is ‘forced out’.

Rooney came through the youth ranks at Goodison Park, earning a move to Manchester United early in his career before returning to Everton in 2017 for a season.

Moshiri is still ‘desperate for the Spaniard to succeed’ at Everton but they know ‘they must have a contingency plan in place if they dump ex-Liverpool chief Benitez’.

Rooney has been trying to help Derby – who have been hit with points penalties this season – avoid relegation and The Sun add that ‘unofficial communication lines have been established between him and the club where he began his playing career’.

Meanwhile, former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy thinks Benitez is “doomed” at Everton with the Toffees not possessing the squad to turn it around.

“He’s doomed,” Murphy told talkSPORT. “He doesn’t have the squad to pull it round. He can’t take Everton to a level he needs to for the Evertonians to be happy with that squad.

“When he first went in there I thought from a footballing perspective, what he’s done before, it looked like a decent appointment.

“I forgot, not living in the area and not thinking about it, about the Liverpool connection and the things he said about Everton, it was always destined to end in turmoil.”

Murphy added: “Rafa’s got a history of falling out with players who don’t tow the line. Xabi Alonso, Fernando Torres, John Terry, at Real Madrid you had Ramos, Ronaldo and Alonso being the obvious one at Liverpool.

“What he’s done with Digne, he’s cut his nose off to spite his face. Maybe he’s not playing because he’s questioned him. But he’s put Ben Godfrey, who’s a centre-back, at left-back. And he can’t play at left-back, Jordan Ayew destroyed him.”