Wayne Rooney has one game to save his managerial career – and Derby – from ignominy

Wayne Rooney has appeared in three Champions League finals, lifted five league titles and an FA Cup, but it is no exaggeration to claim that Saturday’s Championship game between Derby and Sheffield Wednesday is one of the biggest of his life.

As a player Rooney’s achievements left an indelible mark on Premier League history and indeed English football, as he became the record goalscorer for Manchester United and his country. This weekend, however, he is faced with the prospect of trying to save his fledgling managerial career, which is still only four months old, by preventing his Derby side suffering the defeat which would plunge them into the third tier for the first time since 1984.

After six straight defeats, and just one win from the last 14 matches, Derby have tumbled into danger from a position of relative safety and Rooney will be acutely aware that it is him, rather than his players, in the spotlight on Saturday.

He deserved his appointment in January, after a fine start as interim manager, but there was always a sense that it was a major gamble given he is still only 35.

With Derby also gripped by off-field problems, which have persisted over the last 14 months, it was never going to be an easy gig. A takeover bid, by Bin Zayed International, has already collapsed while there are doubts over Spanish businessman Erik Alonso completing a deal, with the EFL conducting a thorough investigation into the source of funds.

The bitter dispute with the EFL has cast a shadow over the club since January 2020, and Derby have recently denied allegations that the governing body has won their appeal over a charge of breaching financial rules.

Mel Morris, the owner, is facing fan protests on Saturday whatever the result. It is understood that Morris fears severe financial problems, including possible insolvency, if the sale to Alonso is not completed. Derby will lose at least £10 million in TV and commercial revenue if they drop into League One.

Championship 2020/21 latest standings (bottom five)

Morris and chief executive Stephen Pearce declined to take calls from Telegraph Sport this week in the build-up to Saturday’s match.

Through the apparent chaos, Rooney has battled on in the muck and nettles of the Championship, but to little avail. Injuries to key personnel, including midfielder Krystian Bielik, have been damaging while questions have to be asked about Derby’s recruitment in January.

He is left with a squad that is threadbare and very inexperienced. In the game at Swansea last weekend, five of the nine substitutes were teenagers.

Rooney's commitment to the job is not in question - he works ferociously hard, using the daily chauffeur-driven car journeys from and to his Cheshire home to map out his plans for the club - but he is clearly feeling the pressure of a bleak situation.

He is learning on the job and his every move is scrutinised, from his ability to motivate players, constant changes to the team and even his demeanour on the touchline.

Perhaps unfairly, this weekend is where Rooney will be judged in his first experience as a manager. The recent statistics certainly paint an alarming picture. Derby have failed to score in 21 of their 45 Championship matches, and are the lowest scorers in the league.

They have not won a game all season after conceding first and after the costly defeat at Swansea last weekend, fans flooded social media to demand Rooney’s removal.

There was never a chance of that ahead of such a crucial game. Rooney’s appointment as manager was a major statement for Morris and his presence in the dug-out is also a selling point for potential investors. Within the club, there is a desperation for him to save the season.

Throughout Rooney’s playing career, there was always a moment of magic or individual brilliance to elevate his team to another level. This weekend, it will all be on Derby’s players and once Rooney is out of the dressing room he is powerless.

This final day has been dubbed ‘Survival Saturday’: for Derby and their celebrated, but rookie, manager, that epithet has an ominous double meaning.