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Next season will see Derby County play in the third tier of English football for the first time in more than three decades.

The Rams' defeat at Queens Park Rangers, combined with Reading's remarkable 4-4 draw against Swansea City, confirmed relegation to League One for Wayne Rooney's side. A mitigating factor in their demise was the 21-point handicap the club incurred after entering administration and breaching accounting policies.

Despite all their troubles, Derby put up a superb and gutsy fight with demotion only confirmed with three games of the season remaining. Paul Ince, interim boss at Reading, had plenty of warm words for County and their manager.

He has even gone as far as to suggest Rooney should be named Championship manager of the season, despite the campaign seeing his side suffer the ignominy of relegation.

“When awards come out at the end of the season, they’ll probably give it to Marco Silva because Fulham got promoted," Ince insisted.

“But it should go to Wayne Rooney, because the job he’s done with the budget and financial situation, to me it’s a no-brainer. That shows how well he’s done as a manager, with his style of football. He takes risks, he entertains, like what he was as he a player.

“When I was given this job at Reading, a