Former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan has launched a stinging attack on Wayne Rooney while discussing Derby County's bleak-looking future.

Rooney took over the Rams last November and only just avoided relegation to League One.

Derby could face a points deduction due to their financial issues, and Jordan doesn't think Rooney is the man to lead them forward.

"The manager, to me, is clueless," he said. "Every single player of stature can go into a dressing room and have influence if they take the managerial reigns for a period of time.

"When Rooney came in, because of the enigma and stuff that goes with him they get this bump. But 12 games before the end of the season, when you need a manager who knows what they are doing, you cannot buy a worse run than they went on under Rooney.

"There is nothing about Rooney that suggests to me, besides the fact that he was a very good footballer, that he will have the credentials of capability to work in a very difficult Derby environment. He needs to learn his managerial trade, and to learn it at a club in the state that Derby is in…"

He added: "What is Rooney's awareness of management?

"He's played for managers. What is his relationship with the Championship? He's kicked a few balls for five minutes in the Championship.

"I couldn't give a monkeys about Rooney - I care about Derby as a football club. He's using Derby as a stepping stone for if an opportunity comes. Unfortunately, right now his performance gives him a stepping stone to never managing again."