London, Jan 18 (IANS): England legends Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard are set to be interviewed for the vacant managerial position at Everton. Everton had sacked manager Rafael Benitez after just six-and-a-half months in charge following Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Norwich.

Former manager and current Belgium boss Roberto Martinez was linked with a surprise return to Goodison Park, which would have seen him manage the Toffees and Belgium at the same time. However, a deal could not be agreed upon with the former Wigan Athletic manager and Everton had to consider alternative options.

And two of those options, according to reports, will be Lampard and Rooney, as the former England teammates have been shortlisted for interviews. Everton owner Farhad Moshiri and club chairman Bill Kenright are strongly considering the former Chelsea and Manchester United stars for the position, The Telegraph informed in a report on Tuesday.

Lampard is yet to manage a club since his brutal sacking from Chelsea last year, while Rooney is currently trying to mastermind a miracle escape from relegation with Lampard's former side Derby County. Rooney's side has incredibly moved off the bottom of the table in the Championship. Rooney's team have won four of their last-five matches and are now only five points from safety.

After his sacking, Benitez released a statement on Sunday claiming things "would have been better" if players had not been injured and further new signings had been made.

"We knew it wouldn't be easy, and that it was a big challenge, both emotionally and in terms of sport. My love for this city, for Merseyside and its people, made me accept this challenge, but it is only when you are inside that you realise the magnitude of the task. From the very first day, my staff and myself worked as we always do, with commitment and full dedication, we didn't only have to get results, but we also had to win over people's hearts," he said on his personal website.