Derby County have been relegated to League One after their 1-0 loss against Queen’s Park Rangers. Luke Amos scored the only goal at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium, while Reading managed a comeback from 4-1 down against Swansea to seal the fate of Wayne Rooney’s side.
The Rams will be playing in the third division of English football for the first time since 1986. They finished the game against QPR with ten men after Tom Lawrence was sent off for a second yellow in the final stages of the game.
Derby County relegated to third division for the first time in over 3 decades
Rooney was asked for his feelings on the relegation, and told Sky Sports: “Proud. Which is a strange feeling because of everything we’ve been through. There’s so many positives for us to take. Of course it’s disappointing to go down but the overall feeling is pride.”
The former Manchester United captain’s team suffered a 21-point deduction this season. And despite putting up a valiant fight, they were unable to stay up in the Championship.
“The takeover has to happen. If it doesn’t I fear for the club. It has to (go through). If it happens, I want to rebuild the club. This is a special club, I’ve said all along. I want to try and bring the happy days back,” Rooney said.
American businessman Chris Kirchner leads the race for the takeover of Derby County. He previously withdrew a bid, and is now in advanced stages to take over the club. Once it is done, the fanbase is optimistic about a brighter future for the club if they can assemble a strong squad.