Derby potential owner sends Rooney message as Rams move closer to relegation

Derby County's prospective new owner has confirmed he wants Wayne Rooney to stay in charge next season.

American Chris Kirchner was this week announced as the preferred bidder for the club as an end to the protracted administration saga appeared to be in sight. Kirchner's initial attempt to buy the club fell through four months ago but he has since returned to the table.

Tweeting Derby supporters from the Masters in Augusta, he was asked if the former England and Manchester United great would remain as manager, he said: "He will. He's a big reason I came back. I believe he is the best young manager in the game."

Kirchner, who previously pursued Preston North End, was also asked if Rooney would be given responsibility over recruitment. He added: "I'll default to Wayne and the term internally. Wayne knows the squad he wants, my job is to give him the resources to assemble it."

If Rooney is in charge next season at Pride Park it looks increasingly likely that it will be in League One. Saturday saw his side lose 2-1 away at Swansea City - a result that leaves the Rams nine points from safety as they move ever closer to a return to the third tier of English football for the first time since 1986.

Joel Piroe's quickfire first half brace put the Swans 2-0 up inside 16 minutes before Wales international and Derby skipper Tom Lawrence halved the deficit from the penalty spot midway through the first half.

Try as they might, Derby could not muster an equaliser and were consigned to an eighth successive defeat away from home in the league.

But it could have been different had the visitors been awarded a second spot-kick late on when sub Bartosz Cybulski looked to be bundled over in the area but the referee waved away appeals.

Derby have just five games left to play and realistically they need to win four if not all five to stand any chance of avoiding the drop.

Speaking after defeat against the Swans, Rooney was fuming at the non-award of a late penalty: "My honest opinion is I think it's an absolute stone-wall penalty. I think the Swansea manager, their staff, their fans, everyone inside the stadium thinks that is a penalty - apart from the four who matter. I'm fed up of coming out here most weeks and having a go at the officials.

"But that is not acceptable and isn't good enough. I hope the referee (Tim Robinson) gets banned for it because it can't keep happening. It's happened to us more than any other team. Something needs to change drastically.

"What we have to do now, with five games left, is to keep pushing. We know we're in a difficult situation but we'll keep fighting. Those players will give everything they've got in all five games."