Wayne Rooney revealed he spoke to Steven Gerrard before it was announced he’s been appointed as Derby boss.
The Manchester United legend signed a deal that will keep him there until 2023 and has ultimately called time on his playing career.
In taking the reins at Derby, Rooney retired from playing football and he spoke to his former England teammate for some pointers.
Rooney told talkSPORT: “I spoke to Steven Gerrard yesterday actually. Obviously he’s a good friend of mine and I spoke to him to have a chat and had a good chat with him.
“Of course I’ve been speaking to players a little bit older than me but I’ve gone down the managerial route at a young age. I can only benefit from that.
“We may have different ideas, different styles with how we approach the game but there’s no harm speaking to them and learning from their experiences and what they’ve been through in the last couple of years.”
Rooney, 35, moved onto the coaching team towards the end of November when Phillip Cocu left, with Liam Rosenior, Shay Given and Justin Walker supporting him.
Derby have confirmed Rosenior is the assistant manager, while Given is now first-team coach. Walker will remain as first-team development coach, while academy goalkeeping coach Jason Pearcey has been appointed as the club’s first-team goalkeeping coach.
Rooney oversaw nine matches in total, recording a return of three victories and four draws along the way, between the end of November and early January.