Derby County may have fought to stay in the Championship last season, but manager Wayne Rooney believes he has found the key to re-igniting the club's fortunes.
The Rams narrowly stayed in the second division after a 3-3 draw with Sheffield Wednesday on the penultimate day of the season, having won only one of their previous 15 games under the former Manchester United striker.
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Rooney took over a club in disarray in the middle of the season, after Phillip Cocu was fired in November and the Rams were stuck to the bottom of the Championship.
Since then, the club has been in a crisis both on and off the field, with two unsuccessful takeover offers and a probable points deduction due to financial regulations violations.
The Rams will be hoping for brighter times ahead after escaping with a £100,000 punishment and a warning for the infraction earlier in July.
Rooney has now tried to lighten the mood at Pride Park by bringing former One Direction pop singer Niall Horan to practice with the team ahead of the new season.
DON'T MISS:
After watching pre-season after a series of text exchanges that led to an invite at the club, the singer claimed that he was encouraged by the system and style of play Rooney was planned.
He told Derby's website, 'I was texting Wayne and he said come down and have a watch.'
'The players played an 11-on-11 game, and after watching that, you can understand what Wayne is attempting to achieve in terms of shape.'
'I've been a Derby fan since I was a kid, so getting the chance to see what goes on behind the scenes is incredible.'
You can't help but think "that's Wayne Rooney out there, Manchester United and England's greatest scorer, and he's the manager of our football team" when you see him in a meeting or coaching.
Derby will be expecting to make a big jump up the Championship table this season, but they'll have to start with a tough match against Wayne Rooney's former club United at Pride Park on Sunday.
They finish the month with a trip to Salford City and a match against Real Betis from Spain, before heading to Notts County at the start of August.
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