A remarkable story surrounding League One outfit Derby County and former boss Wayne Rooney has come to the fore late on Monday evening.
Manchester United icon Rooney, of course, took his place centre stage in the headlines at Pride Park just this past weekend.
This came as the tactician, altogether out of the blue, opted to call time on his stint in England’s east Midlands, on the back of the club’s relegation from the Championship.
“Over the course of the Summer I have been closely following developments regarding the ownership of Derby County.
“Today I met with the administrators to inform them of my decision that it was time for me to leave the club. In fairness to them, they tried tremendously hard to change my decision but my mind was made up,” Rooney concluded.
Wayne Rooney has today informed Derby County Football Club that he wishes to be relieved of his duties as first team manager with immediate effect.#DCFC
— Derby County (@dcfcofficial) June 24, 2022
As alluded to above, though, just days on from seeing the club’s boss walk amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding the ownership situation at Pride Park, fresh drama has erupted in Derbyshire.
This comes owing to a frankly remarkable report on the part of the Daily Telegraph surfacing online.
As per Tom Morgan and John Percy, Paul Stretford, Rooney’s long-time agent, is currently at the centre of an investigation on the part of the English Football Association.
Stretford, it has been alleged, was responsible for paying the wages of staff and players alike at Derby, en route to Chris Kirchner’s ultimately failed takeover bid.
Such a scenario would mark a serious conflict of interest, potentially giving rise to not only a fine, but the removal of licences, too.
Stretford, for his part, is understood to be fully cooperative with the FA’s investigation.
Exclusive: Wayne Rooney’s agent investigated for secretly paying Derby County wages @tom_morgs @JPercyTelegraph #DCFC https://t.co/kGlLDalIt1
— Telegraph Football (@TeleFootball) June 27, 2022
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