Spanish journalist Guillem Balague has claimed that Rafa Benitez will not be appointed as Derby County boss in "this lifetime", which has drawn a disappointed response from fans of the East Midlands club.

Phillip Cocu left the club last weekend and the hunt for his replacement is underway, with an interim coaching team that includes Wayne Rooney and Liam Rosenior currently in charge.

With the completion of Sheikh Khaled's £60 million takeover thought to be close, some Derby fans have highlighted Benitez as a potential candidate to be the Dutchman's replacement.

However, Balague appears to have ended those hopes by providing a damning response to a question from a Rams supporter on Twitter.

Benitez is currently in charge of Chinese Super League side Dalian Professional and indicated in an interview on BBC Radio 5Live last night that he wouldn't be taking the job at Pride Park.

The 60-year-old – who led Liverpool to their 2005 Championship League triumph as well as taking charge of the likes of Real Madrid and Inter Milan – would certainly have been a head-turning appointment by bottom-of-the-Championship Derby.

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It remains unclear whether the Spaniard is a target that the has ever club has pursued but Balague ruling it out completely still seems to have left plenty of fans disappointed.

Read their reaction here: