Odds slashed on Wayne Rooney replacing Rafa Benítez at Everton

Wayne Rooney to make Everton return?

A second return to Everton may not be out of the realm of possibility for former academy graduate and star forward Wayne Rooney after odds were slashed on him being the replacement for underfire boss Rafa Benítez.

According to Oddschecker, Rooney was shortened from 14/1 to 5/1 yesterday to become the next manager at Goodison Park.

👀 Wayne Rooney has shortened to 5/1 from 14/1 yesterday to become the next Everton manager.

😬 Everton currently sit 14th in the league, five points above the relegation zone.

🗣️ Would he be a good option if Rafa Benitez was sacked?#EFC pic.twitter.com/73MCFpmfhe

— oddschecker (@oddschecker) December 2, 2021

Such a move would constitute a massive leap for England’s all-time leading scorer and Premier League-era icon, as he currently sits on the touchline at Pride Park as headmaster of relegation-threatened and financially crippled Derby County.

Despite Rooney putting in a good account of himself in his current managerial role – one that sees the Rams boast the second-best defensive record (20 goals allowed) in the Championship, with only Fulham, Bournemouth, and West Brom shipping fewer goals (16) – Derby still sit at the bottom of the table after a series of points deductions due to their issues off the pitch and above Rooney. Without them, the Rams would be outside of the drop zone but still frustrated by a remarkable amount of draws (10) in just twenty matches played this season.

Rafa Benítez remains underfire

Losing to your biggest rival is always a hard pill to swallow, but if you are Everton – or one of its supporters – getting put to the sword to the tune of a 4-1 drubbing by Liverpool stings more than can be put into words.

Such was the case last night when Rafa Benítez’s men became the third Premier League outfit in as many matches to surrender four goals to Jürgen Klopp’s rampant Reds, and the situation at Everton has grown precarious for the Spaniard.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 25: Rafael Benitez, Manager of Everton gives their team instructions during the Premier League match between Everton and Norwich City at Goodison Park on September 25, 2021 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

At current, Everton sits joint-fourteenth in the table and level on points (15) with Southampton and Leeds United after the mauling at Goodison Park; a position in the table that is hardly good enough given how much the club has invested in recruitment over the last five or six seasons.

But despite Everton owner Farhad Moshiri backing Benítez, claiming that he just needs more time, fans continue to voice their concern on social media given the current state of affairs on the blue half of Merseyside as the club continues to fall further away from its biggest rival.