Nottingham Forest promotion hero Steve Cooper backed to make controversial switch as statement made.

Former Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper is among the bookmakers’ favourites to take over at Derby County.

The Reds’ fiercest rivals are looking for a new manager following a poor run of results. Paul Warne was removed of his duties earlier today (Friday), following a run of seven consecutive Championship losses.

The Rams sit 22nd in the standings, two points shy of safety. According to bookies, Cooper might be a contender for Pride Park’s manager position.

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The Welshman has been out of job since his dismissal by Leicester City in November. According to Gambling.com (via DerbyshireLive), he is a 5/2 favorite to win Derby.

Former Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard is 11/8 to take command, while former Southampton manager Russell Martin is 2/1. Wayne Rooney is 5/1 to return to his previous club.

Cooper was fired as Forest’s head coach in December 2023, following two years in charge. He led the Reds to promotion in 2022 and maintained their Premier League status the following season, bringing the club back to the top level after a long hiatus.

Nuno Espirito Santo took over as Forest’s manager, and the team is now third in the table with 14 games remaining. Cooper took over as manager of the King Power Stadium in June 2024, however he was fired after just 12 league games.

Derby owner David Clowes announced Warne’s resignation on the club’s website, saying: “Paul is a man of great integrity who embodies the values we hold dear at Derby County.” No supporter should forget his role in achieving promotion to the Championship. I surely will not. However, football results drive choices, and we thought that in order to have the best opportunity of keeping our Championship status, the time had come to make a change.