Rooney: “It Was A Good Win”

It was a winning debut for Wayne Rooney as he inspired Derby County to a 2-1 victory over Barnsley at Pride Park Stadium.

The newly-named Rams skipper provided an assist for Derby’s first goal of the game, courtesy of Jack Marriott’s close-range finish from his free-kick, whilst he also had a hand in the second goal through Martyn Waghorn.

He found Andre Wisdom down the right, who cut the ball back to Waghorn to net his eighth goal of the season.

And Rooney, who was given a huge ovation from the Derby supporters ahead of kick-off, was delighted to help his new side to all three points.

“It was a good win,” he told RamsTV. “Barnsley are in good form and were on a good unbeaten run. I watched the game earlier on in the season, when we drew 2-2 at their place, and it is a different Barnsley to what that team was.

“They make it difficult for you but we should have been four up in the first half. Jack Marriott had a lot of chances and you need to take them because they are not that difficult of chances.

“He knows he should have done better with them and it would have made it easier for us, but it was a good victory in the end.

“The first goal was a good finish from Jack and for the second one, it was probably only one of two times that I could get on the ball with a bit of time. I picked Andre out, it was a great cross and a great finish from Waggy.

“It’s seven points out of the last nine for the team and for myself personally, I was delighted to get 90 minutes.

“It was a great reception from the crowd, also. I’ve been to all the games over the last month and they have always given me a good reception, so it was nice to get out on the pitch today and help the team get the win.”

Rooney has been with the Rams since the conclusion of the MLS season at the end of October with DC United.

He’s enjoyed a break since then, but has also been put through his paces to ensure he was fit for tonight’s game and beyond.

“It was nice to be back out on the pitch,” he said. “I’ve been training for a long time now so it’s always nice to get back out on the pitch.

“I felt good and the most important thing for us was the three points.”

It’s now a quick turnaround for the Rams as they face Crystal Palace in the Third Round of the FA Cup on Sunday.

“Everyone that knows me knows that I want to play in all the games,” he commented. “I will recover well now – it’s a quick turnaround – and I will have a good recovery session and be ready for Sunday.”