Wayne Rooney reveals meeting that transformed Derby man’s career

Derby County manager Wayne Rooney has opened up on the meeting with Max Bird that has transformed the midfielder into a vital player for the Rams. 

Wayne Rooney’s impact on Derby this season has already been well documented as he’s needed to blend together a squad of youngsters and free agents.

With that in mind, players have needed to step up and one of those is Max Bird who has been very impressive this season in midfield.

Bird was dropped by Phillip Cocu last season after back-to-back defeats and struggled to get back into the side under Rooney before a conversation between the two helped improve the youngster’s performances.

Rooney told DerbyshireLive: “We sat down with Max last January I think it was and told him he wouldn’t play many games.

“We knew he would be frustrated with that but there were things we wanted him to improve on, which we worked with him on and really we were getting ready for the season, and it has shown he worked extremely hard.

“He got his head down and tried to improve himself, he did that and he’s a vital player for us and he has played every game.”

Bird has made a total 98 first-team appearances for the Rams during his career, and will be looking to add to that tally when they host Birmingham City at Pride Park on Sunday afternoon.

The Verdict

Max Bird has been brilliant all season for Derby and has transformed himself into an essential cog in the system Rooney plays.

Possession based football is important and Max Bird has become the orchestra and controls much of what Derby do with the ball.

If Bird struggles, or is marked out of the game, Derby tend to struggle which highlights his performances and ability at a young age.

As a result, it is no probably surprise to see that a number of