Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sacked: Wayne Rooney rules himself out of Man United coaching role

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has distanced himself from the vacant Old Trafford manager's job after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's sacking.

United have started the search for an interim manager to guide them through until the end of the season when Solskjaer's permanent replacement is likely to be appointed.

Michael Carrick, who was part of Solskjaer's coaching staff, will take over as a caretaker for forthcoming games.

But Rooney, who manages Championship side Derby County, has ruled out any possibility of a return to United in any coaching capacity.

'Firstly, it's always sad when a manager loses his job, especially a former team-mate of mine,' Rooney told Sky Sports after his side's 3-2 win over Bournemouth on Sunday afternoon.

'I feel for Ole. In terms of myself, I'm committed to this club until I'm told otherwise.

'I'm Derby County manager and I'll keep working hard to get the best results on then pitch for this team.'

Rooney added that United's players must shoulder the blame for Solskjaer's dismissal.

He said: 'I was so disappointed watching that game yesterday because, as a manager, you can set a team up and work on shape and how you want the team to play, but there's no excuse for some of those performances from some players.

'To see players waving their arms around and giving the ball away but blaming other people was not acceptable.

'I would be very angry if I saw that from my players. Those players are at one of, if not the biggest, club in the world and should feel privileged to be there.

'In my opinion, the players have to show more - that doesn't necessarily mean winning the Premier League or the Champions League, but showing the fans that they are working hard for the club.'

Rooney's Derby moved onto zero points with their surprise win over second-placed Bournemouth following their cumulative 21-point deduction by the EFL this season.

When news of a further nine-point deduction for breaches of accounting rules broke last week, Rooney committed himself to leading the Rams in League One if they suffer relegation.

'If we end up in League One next season, which of course is a possibility, I'm more than prepared to help us get out of that league,' he said.

The former Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane, Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers and PSG's Mauricio Pochettino are among the bookmakers' favourites to become the next permanent United boss.

Carrick, whose odds have also been slashed, takes charge of the team for their Champions League trip to Villarreal on Tuesday night.