Rooney handed managerial warning as Derby name interim replacement at Pride Park

The Everton and Manchester United legend announced his decision to leave the club earlier this week saying that his time at the club 'has been a rollercoaster of emotions, both highs and lows', but insisted that the Rams now needed 'fresh energy' for the challenge ahead.

While Rosenior will get to work in the hot seat as preparations build for the season ahead, Rooney will be pondering what is next for him.

After leaving his first role in management, the 36-year-old will be looking at routes back into the game with positions in the Premier League and Championship most likely to be on his radar.

But according to Dean Saunders, the most important thing for Rooney must be the club itself, with another tough job having the potential to end his managerial career.

Speaking on talkSPORT, he said: "Whatever league he takes a job in, whether it's League One, the Championship or the Premier League, he has to go to a club where he thinks he has a chance of doing well.

"If he takes an impossible job, for example, Nottingham Forest to try and win the Premier League, it's an impossible job.

"If the owner says that their budget is the tenth highest in the league and he said that wants you to get in the play-offs, then I'd be saying 'hang on a minute, there's ten teams that have spent more money than us, I know I can coach my way into the top four but that's a tough job you've given me'.

"But if they say they've got the highest budget in the league but they just want to get in the play-offs as a minimum, that's a good job.

"Whatever league it is, give yourself the best chance of doing well. Don't take an impossible job now because that will be the end of him."

Asked if he should follow in the footsteps of Steven Gerrard who started his managerial career with Rangers, Saunders wasn't so sure.

He said: "If he got offered a job like Sunderland who have just gone up, have massive support, owners have just come in and said 'we're going to try and get it up, once it's up and running, this club is going places'.

"That'd be a great job for him.

"To take the Rangers job or the Celtic job, I thought that Steven Gerrard was mad when he took it. He had the Liverpool job on a plate, but he went there and did himself proud.

"He did better than I thought because Celtic had double the amount of money that he had at Rangers to start with, but he got them winning.

"He did well and probably he deserves a bit of credit for that team."