Lampard leading candidate after Everton interviews

Frank Lampard is the leading candidate for the Everton manager's job after Friday's interviews concluded, with an announcement expected soon.

Everton held a final round of talks with three candidates to replace Rafa Benitez - Lampard, Vitor Pereira and current caretaker manager Duncan Ferguson - for the vacant manager role on Friday.

Everton owner Farhad Moshiri had flown into London to hold talks with all three candidates.

The club is searching for a successor following the sacking of Benitez this month after just 200 days in the wake of Everton's 2-1 defeat at Norwich.

Everton sit 16th in the Premier League and are just four points above the relegation zone having won one and drawn three of their last 14 matches.

Earlier on Friday, former Everton striker Wayne Rooney revealed he turned down the chance to talk with the Toffees about their managerial vacancy because he wants to stay as Derby County boss.

Rooney said: "Everton approached my agent and asked me to interview for the vacant job, which I turned down.

"I believe that I will be a Premier League manager and I believe I'm ready for that 100 per cent, and if that is with Everton one day in the future that'd be absolutely great. But I've got a job here to do at Derby County which is an important job to me."

Asked if it was a hard decision not to speak to Everton, Rooney added: "Yes, of course I did [think hard about it].

"They got in touch with my agent and my agent let the administrators know as well. Of course it was a very difficult decision for me."

Not well. The Toffees are 16th in the Premier League having secured 19 points from 20 matches, with the side starting 2022 with three Premier League defeats.

A 2-1 loss to embattled Norwich was the final nail in the