Derby County’s administrators say they have already received interest from six potential buyers for the club, while manager Wayne Rooney has accused owner Mel Morris of a lack of honesty.

It was first announced on Friday that the club would go into administration, and on Wednesday the Championship side confirmed that Andrew Hosking, Carl Jackson and Andrew Andronikou from Quantuma would serve as joint administrators, a move which triggered an automatic 12-point penalty from the EFL.

The administrators say they are also in ‘constructive dialogue’ with the EFL over the issue of a further nine-point deduction for financial breaches – but admit that a further deduction is likely.

However, the administrators added that the prospect of Derby being in League One next season hasn’t deterred potential new owners, and that they will soon start looking at ‘genuine, credible’ prospective buyers.

Meanwhile, Rooney said Morris “wasn’t heartfelt enough” when telling the players and staff at the club that administration was likely.

“In my opinion, it wasn’t sincere enough, it wasn’t heartfelt enough, and it wasn’t done with enough honesty. Obviously he has moved on and we have to move on and put Mel Morris to the back of our minds,” Rooney said.

“I personally haven’t spoken to Mel Morris since August 9. I still haven’t had a one-on-one conversation, no phone call, no text message. Nothing.”

Rooney continued: “I find it a bit disrespectful, to be honest. Communication is so important, whether it’s good news or bad news, so we can deal with it.

“He doesn’t have to apologise to me. I just found, as manager of this football club, getting questions from players and staff and not being able to answer, I was hurt by that.

“He’s put a lot of money into the club, and he deserves a lot of respect for that, but there are ways of handling things and it has left me disappointed.”

Derby now sit bottom of the table on -2 points, six adrift of Nottingham Forest in 23rd place.

Jackson and Hosking say that, while they are currently securing short-term loans to make sure the squad is paid its wages in full next week, they don’t have any plans to sell players once the January transfer window opens.

While Quantuma wouldn’t put a figure on the club’s debt, they say they are confident that Derby will be able to fulfil their fixtures this season, and that they are hopeful the outlook will improve.

Hosking said: “A club of this magnitude is such that it does have a viable future moving forward. There is a considerable degree of interest in this club. A lot of it was expressed prior to (entering) administration.

“Now that the club is in administration, notwithstanding the points deduction and clearly the distress to the supporters, the staff and suppliers to the club, we do consider that the position to be able to make a successful conclusion to the story is now really very, very practical. We don’t consider the obstacles that we face at this stage insurmountable.”

They are trying to minimise job losses at the club, but warned that efficiencies are ‘inevitable’.

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Regarding the likelihood of of a further points deduction over breaches of the EFL’s financial rules, Jackson said: “We’ve had very positive dialogue with the EFL.

“They want to see Derby County survive, we want to see Derby County survive, but right here, right now what we can’t say is that there won’t be further points deductions. There is a distinct possibility of further points deductions.”

Manager Wayne Rooney chose to attend a special meeting with Derby’s administrators and the supporters trust on Thursday morning, to emphasise his continued commitment to the club.

The administrators say they are fully committed to Rooney remaining as manager. Hosking was asked whether Rooney’s future, or that of his coaching staff, could be in doubt, and said: “Not at all.

“We need a manager to motivate the team and that has not come into our consideration at all.”

EFL rules dictate that the Rams Trust have 28 days where they can go away and try to put forward a credible offer to buy the club.

Following the meeting with administrators, the supporters trust has now gone away to consider that option.

EFL chief: Abolish PL parachute payments

EFL chief executive Trevor Birch has told Sky Sports News the only way to avoid more Championship clubs following Derby into administration is to abolish parachute payments and give a greater share of Premier League revenues to EFL clubs.

Birch says the EFL must continue to follow its rules, and so has no plans to drop the pursuit of a further nine-point penalty for Derby’s breach of profit and sustainability rules in 2019/2020.

When asked whether this was a time for a “revolution” in the organisation of football’s finances, Birch said: “Maybe this is the moment, with the Tracey Crouch review. If it (the review) is going to be effective, it needs to address the whole funding model.”

Birch has called on the Premier League to agree to a new model, whereby broadcast rights are negotiated jointly with the EFL, and 25 per cent of the total revenues from that be passed down to the bottom three divisions.

He says if the Premier League do not agree to that, he hopes the Government will force them to do so, as part of the Crouch review.

Birch is also calling for an end to what he calls the “benefactor funding model” whereby a club’s finances are dependent on one individual, whereby if they “turn the tap off” the club cannot continue to survive.

Birch also said the EFL has no plans to pursue a salary cap in the Championship in the face of opposition from the PFA.