Man Utd defender Mengi happy to play for Rooney at Derby

Manchester United defender Teden Mengi is happy playing on-loan for Derby manager Wayne Rooney.

Mengi has recently broken into the Derby side and was Man Of The Match in their goalless draw with Barnsley earlier this month.

He also signed a United contract extension this week, keeping him with his parent club until June 2024.

“I’m really enjoying it at Derby,“ he told United’s in-house media on his loan spell. “It’s to be in a different environment with a great bunch of lads and a great manager in Wayne Rooney, who is a legend of this club.

“I think the connection comes there between me and him and he’s shown faith in me. He gave me a chance and I think I took it well. It’s good to be playing regularly in the Championship, at a tough level. I think I’m coping well and I’m really happy with it.

“I knew it was going to be a step up from what I was used to playing Under-23s football. It’s good, but not Championship football, so obviously I had to prepare myself mentally for that. I think, physically, I’m coming on and am benefiting from playing in that league.

“I was speaking to most of the lads really, when it was coming to the time of making a decision, and they said it will be good for me to go out and have a different type of experience because obviously I’ve played Premier League 2 and I think I did well in that. So I needed the next step and a new challenge. I think it’s all fallen into place at the right time for me.

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“The move was done quite fast actually. It as around the end of the deadline, a deadline-day one I think, and Wayne just rang me and said it how it is, like he was interested in getting me to Derby. I said ‘yes’ straight away. For me, it was a no-brainer. That is how it came about.