Derby County boss Wayne Rooney makes “different” admission on Chris Kirchner

The US businessman has been looking to purchase an English club for months now, first entering the race for the Rams back in October as he launched a reported £50m bid to take control of the club and rescue the second-tier side from administration.

Initially pulling out of the race two months later, he was then heavily linked with Preston North End but has since been named preferred bidder of the Rams, providing him with the freedom needed to get a deal over the line without the threat of other parties hijacking this likely takeover.

During this process, Kirchner has been happy to communicate with the Rams’ fanbase on Twitter, also speaking with manager Rooney on a daily basis as the Manchester United legend looks to put plans in place for the summer.

This direct communication is perhaps something of a surprise considering the quiet nature of some owners up and down the English pyramid – and Derby supporters will be hoping for much of the same in the coming days and weeks as they look to get the latest updates from this takeover saga.

And Rooney believes the businessman is different to a lot of owners he has been in contact with before.

Speaking to Derbyshire Live, he said: “He [Kirchner] is different to quite a few of the owners I have met before from different clubs in a sense he is younger than me, for one! But he is a really clever guy, a really clever business guy.

“He loves his football and some of the ideas he came up with yesterday for the club were very impressive.

“So it is an exciting time, for myself, the staff, the players and the fans but I don’t want to go too far with things because we still need to make sure it is completed.”

The Verdict:

Above all else at this stage, they need someone who can come in