John Richard Rooney is an English professional football player who plays as a midfielder and currently plays for Oldham Athletic.
He is the younger brother of D.C. United manager and former England striker Wayne Rooney. Although born in England, Rooney has expressed a desire to represent the Republic of Ireland at the international level.
John Rooney was born in Liverpool, Merseyside, to Janet Maria Rooney (née Morrey) and Thomas Wayne Rooney. He is of Irish descent and grew up in Croxteth with older brothers Graeme and Wayne. All three attended Our Lady and St. Swithin Primary School and De La Salle Humanities College.
John Rooney started studying at Everton’s youth academy at the age of six.
After being sacked by Everton in 2002, Rooney moved to Macclesfield Town and signed a professional contract on 14 July 2008, making his professional debut against Barnett on 24 March 2008 after 4 months. On 28 March 2009, he scored his first career goal in a 2-1 defeat at Dagenham & Redbridge. Rooney’s contract with Macclesfield expired at the end of the 2009-10 season (after he refused to sign a new one).
After failed attempts at Derby County and Huddersfield Town, Rooney went to court for the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers for the next MLS draft. Rooney signed with Major League Soccer on 28 December 2010 and played for the MLS Combine in Florida in 2011.
On January 13, 2011, Rooney was selected by the New York Red Bulls in the second round of the 2011 MLS SuperDraft. He made his club debut on 16 April, coming off the bench in the 89th minute of a 3-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes at the Red Bull Arena. Rooney made his first start for New York on 28 June, scoring his first goal for the club in a 2-1 US Open Cup win over New York.
Rooney was waived by New York on November 23, 2011, and signed with USL Pro Club Orlando City on January 27, 2012.
On 25 February 2013, Rooney scored his debut goal against Toronto FC in a 2-2 draw at the Walt Disney World Series Classic. On 15 April, Rooney scored twice and provided an assist in a 4-1 win over the Wilmington Hammerheads. On May 22, Rooney scored twice again in the 7-0 victory over KC Athletics in the second round of the US Open Cup. On July 27, the Orlando City defeated the Charleston Battery 4-0 (with 3 games remaining in the season) to win the 2012 regular season title. As a result, John Rooney won the first title of his career. Rooney finished the season with 13 appearances and five goals as Orlando was eliminated by the Wilmington Hammerheads in the playoff semifinals.
