Wayne Rooney drops honest Lincoln City claim | OneFootball

Wayne Rooney has delivered his verdict on Lincoln City's promotion to the Championship, praising the club for their structure and recruitment.

Lincoln City are preparing for life in the Championship after winning the League One title.

After an 11th-placed finish in League One in the 2024-25 season, few expected much of Lincoln heading into this season, but it proved to be an outstanding campaign for Michael Skubala's men.

The Imps secured promotion back to the second tier of English football for the first time in 65 years with a 2-1 victory at Reading on Easter Monday, and they went on to be crowned champions, eventually ending the season with a total of 103 points.

Incredibly, Lincoln went unbeaten in their final 29 league games of the season, with their last defeat coming all the way back in November, and Skubala was named League One Manager of the Season after his side's promotion success.

Skubala's impressive work has not gone unnoticed, and it was revealed on Tuesday that Bristol City had activated the release clause in his contract as they look to bring him to Ashton Gate, but despite holding talks with the Robins, he is reportedly set to remain at Sincil Bank.

Wayne Rooney praises Lincoln City and Michael Skubala after League One title success

Lincoln have won plenty of plaudits in recent months, and former Manchester United and England forward Wayne Rooney became the latest to praise the Imps on this week's edition of The Overlap Fan Debate.

Rooney lauded Lincoln for the recruitment that has led to their promotion, and he claimed that the club's patience and willingness to implement a long-term project has been key to their achievements this season.

When asked if Skubala should be considered as the best manager in the EFL this season, Rooney replied: "He's certainly up there, isn't he?

"You've got a club who have a structure and the structure's right, recruitment is right, and they're not getting carried away with saying 'if we bring this player in or these two players in, then they will get us promotion'.

"If you actually have a big more patience and say, 'if we can gradually keep adding to it, then in three or four years time, this might get us to the next level'.

"I think that's key really, rather than trying to get everything too soon, and I think that's what's happened with Lincoln.

"They are certainly getting the benefits of that now."

Lincoln City could be a surprise package in the Championship under Michael Skubala

While Lincoln's dominance in League One this season certainly raised a few eyebrows, it perhaps should not be too much of a surprise to see them win promotion to the Championship.

The Imps have been steadily improving in recent years, and after flirting with the play-offs in the past two seasons, Skubala found the perfect formula for his side to mount a sustained promotion push and get over the line this time around.

Lincoln reportedly had a wage cap of £3,500-a-week and the seventh-lowest budget in the division this season, which makes their success even more remarkable, particularly given that they were competing against clubs with significantly greater financial resources, including the likes of Cardiff City, Stockport County, Bolton Wanderers, Luton Town and Huddersfield Town.

It could be argued that the Imps are one of the best run clubs in the EFL, and with Skubala set to remain in charge at Sincil Bank, despite interest from Bristol City, they will be optimistic they can defy the odds and survive in the Championship next season.