When Wayne Rooney turned down the chance to be interviewed for the Everton job a couple of weeks ago, he confirmed something I had suspected for a very long time – there is a very good chance this young man is going to the very top of the game.

It can’t have been easy to say an outright no to the club he has supported since birth and played for twice. He could have enjoyed the ultimate hero’s welcome and would have known he would have been given all the time in the world to turn things round.

But in deciding to stay at Derby County he resisted a temptation that many others in his position would have been unable to fight off. You only have to think about the guy who actually did get the Everton job – Frank Lampard – and how he was unable to resist the temptation of returning to Chelsea. And we all know how that ended.

What made Rooney’s decision all the more impressive is the fact that Derby are not exactly in a happy place right now, and walking away would probably have relieved a whole lot of stress; or at least given him some differently flavoured stress.

His current club are embroiled in a nasty relegation battle but only because they have been deducted 21 points. If that hadn’t happened, they would be in mid-table safety and maybe thinking about a play-off push.

In deciding to stay with the Rams and continue the fight, he displayed a level of loyalty that will only make him even more appealing to chairpersons when another top-level vacancy arises. A manager who doesn’t allow his head to be easily turned by other clubs is a very valuable asset.

But resisting temptation and being loyal, while both hugely admirable, do not a brilliant manager make. It’s what happens on the pitch that really matters. And despite having next to no resources to play with, despite having to make do with free transfers and academy kids, Rooney has got his Derby team playing some very attractive football.

I’ve watched them a few times this season and it is obvious that his tactical skills and motivational talents are right up there with the very best. He knows how to set up a team and he knows how to make them play to a sum which is far greater than their parts.

He knows how to set up a team and make them play to a sum which is far greater than their parts

And that is why, despite the point deduction, I would be extremely shocked if he doesn’t manage to secure their place in the Championship come the end of the season. They have already clawed their way off bottom spot and, with 16 games to go and safety only four points away, escape is well within their reach.

I’ve been following Rooney’s fledgling managerial career closely and was already of the opinion that he has the right stuff. Turning down Everton to stay at Derby and get his hands dirty only served to confirm that suspicion.

Not all great players make great managers, but Rooney will be going all the way to the very top.

Bruce almighty

Steve Bruce is well known for being one of the most travelled managers in the history of English football. He has been the top dog at 11 different teams and taken charge of 1,001 games and counting.

But it was only a few days ago that someone pointed out to me one of the most interesting things about his long career in the dugout – he has managed an astonishing amount of rival teams. When a manager ‘crosses the divide’ – like Rafa Benitez managing Everton after being Liverpool boss – it is a pretty big deal.

But Bruce has made this normally unusual occurrence an art form. He started his managerial career at Sheffield United but also went on, many years later, to have a short spell as Sheffield Wednesday boss. And that doesn’t happen a lot.

Up to recently, he was in charge of Newcastle United having previously been Sunderland manager. And those two clubs are huge rivals.

But possibly his most bizarre achievement in this regard came with his appointment last week as West Bromwich Albion manager. That means he has managed no less than three clubs in the same city – West Brom, Birmingham and Aston Villa.

That, in itself, must surely be some kind of record.

If there’s one thing Bruce can’t be accused of, it's allowing sentiment and loyalty to get in the way of a job…

The food of champignons

Did any of you pick up on the quirky story recently where UEFA threatened a small German restaurant with legal action because they had a “Champignons League” pizza on their menu?

Pizza Wolke, near Frankfurt, created their mushroom-loaded version of the classic Italian delight with football fans in mind. But UEFA were not happy with the similarity to their flagship brand, the Champions League, and the restaurant received a letter from European football’s governing body threatening legal action.

As it happens, the story did end on a positive note – UEFA blamed an overexcited official for the letter and said the restaurant could continue using the name for their pizza.

“Clearly some people are making a meal of this story,” the organisation said in a statement. “UEFA obviously takes the protection of its intellectual property seriously, but this instance seems to be a case of an overzealous local trademark agent acting too hastily.”

Which is great news, as it means I can push ahead with my plans for my new ‘Champions Leak’ plumbing service…