WAYNE ROONEY’S Derby players will be asked to accept a pay DELAY to help the crisis-stricken club.
The Rams plunged from 12th to bottom of the Championship on minus two points on Wednesday — having been docked 12 points for entering administration.
Rams insiders revealed that funds are low at the bank after owner Mel Morris’ reign and it will be a major effort to cover payroll for the next few months.
Derby appointed administrators Quantuma to run the club as they try to find a buyer.
A request will be made for the squad to allow the Rams to hold back a chunk of their salaries — around a third — rather than be paid in full at the end of the month.
That will be a blow for the new faces in Rooney’s group, who signed on the maximum £4,500-a-week wage the club were allowed to pay under EFL restrictions.
Some will see their salary temporarily reduced to around £3,000 a week in the first major cutback measure at Pride Park.
The players may have no option but to accept this deferral plan, while Derby hope the EFL will also give it the green light rather than add a three-point penalty for late payments.
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Overall the payroll saving would work out at around £400,000 a month.
This money would be returned once a new buyer for the club is in place.
Defender Curtis Davies, 36, reckons the players are lucky to have boss Rooney in this crisis.
He said: “He’s a born winner. Obviously it would be easy for him to walk away.
Wayne didn’t need it in the summer when he couldn’t sign the players he wanted — but he’s willing to stand by us.
Curtis Davies
“But he’s in the meetings and he’s telling us, ‘I’ll stand in front of you, I’ll back you all the way. I’ll be the main one to take on any flak, any questions, whatever needs to be done. I’ll be in the trenches with you’.
“The biggest compliment you can give Wayne is he doesn’t need it.
“He didn’t need it in the summer when he couldn’t sign the players he wanted — but he’s willing to stand by us. That shows how much he wants to succeed in management.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
