Wayne Rooney has confirmed he'll take sole charge of Derby for tomorrow's Championship game with Wycombe.
The former England captain had been part of a coaching group, including Liam Rosenior, which have led the team since Phillip Cocu's sacking earlier this month.
The club are currently sitting bottom of the Championship.
Rooney says if he gets the job on a full-time basis, it would make sense to retire from playing.
"If I'm managing the team for a longer scale, I don't think it's possible to manage and play, so of course that is a possibility.
"If I'm not managing the team and I'm part of the coaching staff then I'll continue to play, but if I'm asked to manage the team on a full-time basis then, of course, that will be the end of my playing days, yes.
"We felt it needed one voice, one person to make the decisions on the team and substitutions during the game and we felt I was the right man for that, so that's where we're at.
"It's exciting for me to do that. Management is always something I've stressed I want to go into, so it's an opportunity for me to try and pick the right team to get a positive result."
