Wayne Rooney has accused Derby County owner Mel Morris of lacking sincerity and honesty and of being ‘disrespectful’ over his lack of communication throughout the club’s financial struggles.
The Rams officially entered administration on Wednesday, which saw them hit with a 12-point deduction that sunk the club to the bottom of the Championship table, with the possibility of further points being taken away.
Rooney, who revealed earlier this week he discovered Derby’s administration fate on television, addressed the media on Thursday.
The England and Manchester United said he hasn’t spoken to Morris for more than six weeks, and felt there was little to no communication over the club’s turmoil to staff and players.
Speaking openly to the media on Thursday, the former striker hit out at the owner for his handling of the situation.
“In my opinion, it wasn’t sincere enough, it wasn’t heartfelt enough, and it wasn’t done with enough honesty,” Rooney said.
“Obviously he has moved on and we have to move on and put Mel Morris to the back of our minds.
“I personally haven’t spoken to Mel Morris since August 9. I still haven’t had a one-on-one conversation, no phone call, no text message. Nothing.
“I find it a bit disrespectful, to be honest. Communication is so important, whether it’s good news or bad news, so we can deal with it.
“He doesn’t have to apologise to me,” Rooney told talkSPORT’s Ian Abrahams. “I’m not asking for an apology, I just found, as manager of this football club, getting questions from players and staff and not being able to answer them, I was hurt by that.
“He’s put a lot of money into the club, and I know he deserves a lot of respect for that, but then there’s a way of handling things, of being open and honest about things, and that didn’t happen, so I was a bit disappointed.”
Earlier on Thursday, the administrators offered hope to the club’s supporters and said they are confident of finding a buyer by the end of the year.
They also insisted Rooney’s future was not in question ‘at all’, allaying fears England’s record goalscorer could leave as a cost-saving measure.
And while Rooney admitted he probably wouldn’t have taken the job had he known the extent of Derby’s troubles, he insisted he will not jump ship during this difficult time and will stick by the club that gave him his first shot at management.
“I doubt it,” he said, when asked if he would have become Derby manager if he was aware of their financial difficulties.
“I will fight for the club,” he added. “I wouldn’t leave the staff in the lurch. They need someone to lead them.
“I’m committed to this football club. I’m ready to fight.
“I grew up in a council estate in Liverpool, I know how tough things can be, I know how tough life can be and we’re in a tough moment.
“But if you put the effort and the work in, you can get through it.
“I care about the players and the staff here, what type of person would I be if I walk away now and go and put my feet up, go on holiday and sit in the sun for a few weeks?
“I don’t think that’s the right way to deal with it.
“I’m prepared to try and get this club into a stable position first of all, and then hopefully in the future we can start looking a bit further forward.”
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