Credit: BBC MOTD/Imago

Scott Mason

Mon 25 May 2026 7:10, UK

Wayne Rooney has delivered his final verdict on Tottenham Hotspur boss Roberto De Zerbi after he kept the Lilywhites in the Premier League.

The N17 outfit was in a precarious situation before the arrival of the Italian, with Igor Tudor steering the ship wholeheartedly in the wrong direction.

De Zerbi’s appointment has ultimately shifted the course of the club and, in just a short space of time, has brought life back into the players.

The former Brighton manager wasted no time to instil even just inklings of his philosophy.

Now, ahead of Tottenham’s season next year, expectations will certainly rise, and Rooney has shared whether he thinks De Zerbi can rise to them.

What has Wayne Rooney said about Roberto De Zerbi at Tottenham?

Tottenham’s survival and West Ham’s relegation were perhaps the biggest talking points of the final day of the 2025-2026 Premier League season.

There was some controversy in Tottenham’s clash against Everton, but the final outcome is all that really matters.

Questions about De Zerbi’s job were always going to be a key point as well, with that being one of the first topic discussed following the game.

Speaking on Match of the Day, Rooney was asked if the appointment of De Zerbi was the right one, and the former Premier League striker replied with “definitely”.

Rooney then went on to say: “I think the Igor Tudor appointment was a strange one; I think everyone thought that. But De Zerbi has come in, and it feels right for Tottenham, and there seems to be a really good connection with the players and the supporters as well; it seems to be a good connection.

“He’s done his job; he’s kept them in the Premier League, and I think going into next season with a few new additions to that squad, he could start getting back to where you’d expect Tottenham to be.”

Expectations at Tottenham Hotspur will certainly be much higher next season. Particularly due to De Zerbi’s style of play.

With a full pre-season under his belt, the Italian is sure to stamp his authority further onto the squad, and it should look like a different Tottenham side.

In five of his seven games, Spurs have created more xG than their opposition, while they have also had more possession in four of those fixtures, too.

Where would Tottenham have finished if Roberto De Zerbi had been in charge for the whole season?

Since making the move to Tottenham, De Zerbi has averaged 1.57 points per game. Over the course of a 38-game season, that tally would have meant Spurs would have finished with a points total of 59.66.

Of course, points cannot have decimals, so rounding up, that would be 60 points.

Based on the final Premier League table, it means that Tottenham could have finished in 5th place and secured Champions League qualification.

Liverpool finished the season in that position on the same points total, so it would have come down to goal difference.

It goes to show just how excellent a job the Italian has achieved in just a short space of time and supporters should be quite excited.

The future is looking bright for the Lilywhites, and De Zerbi must now be backed in the market to avoid another season like this.