Wayne Rooney says he turned down interview for Everton manager’s job

• Rooney admits it was ‘difficult decision’ to say no

• He explains he wants to continue as Derby manager

Wayne Rooney has said he turned down an interview for the manager’s job at Everton. The club’s former forward has impressed under difficult circumstances at Derby this season and said he had taken the difficult decision to stay.

“Everton approached my agent and asked me to interview for the vacant job, which I turned down,” he said.

Related: Lampard, Ferguson and Pereira face final interviews for Everton job

Rooney added: “I believe I will be a Premier League manager. I believe I’m ready for that, 100%. And if that is with Everton one day in the future that would be absolutely great. But I’ve got a job here that I’m doing at Derby County which is an important job to me.”

He admitted he had to think long and hard about the offer. “They got in touch with my agent, my agent let the administrators know as well, and yes of course it was a difficult decision for me [to turn it down],” Rooney said.

Everton are giving final interviews to Frank Lampard, Vítor Pereira and Duncan Ferguson on Friday as they decide who should succeed Rafael Benítez.

Rooney’s ties to Everton run deep. He joined the club as a nine-year-old and made his first-team debut aged 16 in 2002, before moving on to Manchester United two years later. He rejoined Everton for the 2017-18 season.