Millwall boss Gary Rowett gives his reaction to Derby County’s impending administration

Millwall manager Gary Rowett has given his reaction to former club Derby County’s imminent administration.

The Rams filed a notice to appoint administrators on Friday. The EFL will impose a 12-point deduction. Derby owner Mel Morris has blamed the pandemic for the financial problems mounting up and claims he has invested in the region of £200million.

Rowett played and managed County and led them to the Championship play-offs in 2018, when they lost to eventual winners Fulham.

“It’s a really difficult one,” Rowett told the South London Press. “To see a club like Derby go into administration, from the stuff I heard from behind the scenes it seems like that might have been inevitable in the end. I don’t think Mel could just have been expected to keep funding the club really to keep it where it was.

“People will have different opinions about what has happened. It is a great, great club – I spent a lot of time there as a player and a coach. It’s a club I still follow, because I live locally.

“I really hope it gets back to where it should be.

“Essentially Mel wanted to try and get the club to the Premier League and spent a lot of money early on, the intention was there to give the community that bit of pride and get the club back to the Premier League.

“I hope they can work their way out of it. On the pitch they have performed well and tried their best, which must be hard in terms of not getting distracted.”

Morris told BBC Radio Derby: “I’ve put a lot of blood, sweat and tears – and a heck of a lot of money – into this club and it’s had some really good times under my tenure, but ultimately I’ve failed.

“We’ve got people interested in the club at this moment in time and my focus today, tomorrow – regardless of administration – is exactly the same. I want to find the best purchaser I can for this club and that continues.

“Hopefully, on the back of that, we preserve as many jobs as we possibly can.”