Rooney will be ready for Man Utd reunion – Derby boss Cocu

Phillip Cocu said Wayne Rooney will be ready for his reunion with former club Manchester United after Derby County earned a FA Cup tie against the Premier League giants.

Derby captain and ex-United skipper Rooney, 34, converted a 77th-minute penalty as the Championship outfit defeated Northampton Town 4-2 in Tuesday’s fourth-round replay.

Rooney – who left United in 2017 having arrived from Everton in 2004 – can now look ahead to a Pride Park clash against United, where the superstar became the Red Devils’ record scorer with 253 goals.

At Derby as a player-coach since January following a two-season stint with MLS side DC United, Rooney is relishing the FA Cup date, according to Dutch head coach Cocu.

 @ManUtd

 

— Derby County (@dcfcofficial) February 4, 2020

“He comes back from the States, joins us and now plays his old club where he had a great career… it’s special … I’m sure he will be ready,” Cocu told reporters.

“It’ll be a beautiful game not just for Wayne, but everyone at the club.”

Cocu added via RamsTV: “It is a great game for us and that is why we are so happy to be in the fifth round. We knew if we beat Northampton that we would play Manchester United here at Pride Park. It is a great game for the team, the fans and the club. We are looking forward to it.

“For me, they are not only a name in world football. They have really great players, quality players in their team, they play really good football and dominate the games.

“Maybe in the league table everybody expects them to be higher up, but that doesn’t mean that they play bad football. It is an extremely strong team, but we will do everything in our power to create a great atmosphere and a great game here at Pride Park.”

The key moments from the #FACup Fourth Round replay victory tonight! 

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— Derby County (@dcfcofficial) February 4, 2020

The Derby-United match will take place in midweek between March 3 and 5, with no replays.