Derby County boss Wayne Rooney insists he remains 'grateful' to Mel Morris for giving him an opportunity in management, despite the problems he has had to deal with at Pride Park.

As has been well-documented, the Rams have been unable to make the signings Rooney wanted due to financial issues that have engulfed the club for some time now, and problems that came about before Rooney was appointed.

The Manchester United legend has made his frustrations clear at different times in the summer, as he pushed for new signings that didn't happen.

However, when asked about his relationship with the owner, Rooney told Derbyshire Live that they still have a working relationship, whilst he explained how he still is thankful for getting the chance to take over at Derby.

"Yeah, no, of course, there is (still a relationship there). Listen, I’ve said before, I’m grateful to Mel for giving me this opportunity to come in for my first job in management.

"And yes, obviously more so (in communication) with Stephen (Pearce), and trying to understand the full details of the situation. Of course, I want more players, I’ve made that no secret."

The verdict

Rooney has been dealt a very bad hand at Derby this summer, but he has battled on and he deserves huge credit for that.

You can understand why he would be annoyed with Morris but ultimately the owner is the same as him, he doesn't want the club to be in the position they are now either!

This response shows there is still a respect between the two and that's for the best. Now, Morris' job is to help improve Derby's off-field situation, whilst Rooney will just be desperate to get a result at Birmingham on Friday.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.