with Adam Rooney
THE LOOK OF THE IRISH
As Scotland goes, you’d be hard pushed to get much further from Dublin than the Granite City, but in Aberdeen’s fair city, where the football’s so pretty, it’s our contingent of Irishmen that are doing plenty to propel the Dons toward an end of season that might yet go down in the history books.
Our latest acquisition, goalscorer extraordinaire Adam Rooney, has signed for the Dons for a good few quid a week less than his namesake Wayne has just pocketed at Manchester United, but he could have every bit as big an impact on our fortunes in the next few years as Wayne might have on things at Old Trafford.
His story started out across the Irish Sea, just as it did for a couple of Aberdeen stars that Adam knows plenty about.
“I grew up in Dublin. There are different leagues for all the different counties in Ireland. DDSL is the Dublin District League and that is the strongest set up. Even lads who have been playing in other counties, like Cork and Kerry, because all the scouts come to Dublin to watch the games in that League, all the best players land up in the capital and the scouts then take the players from there over to the UK. There are certainly far better opportunities for the players in Dublin to get spotted than anywhere else in the country.
“When I played in Dublin, I was aware of Willo Flood. When I was coming up through the Irish youth ranks, everyone would speak about him, he was very highly regarded. Jonny Hayes was a couple of years older than me, so although I didn’t play against him, I did see him play a few times, so I knew who he was and how good a player he was. Willo and Jonny come from the same area in Dublin, an area that has produced quite a number of players over the years”.
Given that Ireland lacks a full-time professional structure for football, it’s inevitable that its talented youngsters have to leave home to get on in the game. Since that has long since been the Irish way in so many fields, it’s a situation that Adam accepted without question.
“A lot of lads in Ireland go away on a lot of trials. They might have trials for five, six, seven, even more teams from a young age. I was never really like that. I went to Bolton and Plymouth when I was about 15 and then I had nothing really until I was about 17, after I had finished my education in Ireland.
“That summer, I managed to get a couple of trials, I went to Nottingham Forest and I was very close to signing for them, but then I went to Stoke, purely because of who the youth team manager was – Noel Blake. He was very impressive. Noel has gone on join the England set up and is currently the head coach of the England under-19 side.
“It means that I’ve been away from home since I was 17, so I’m quite used to it. I’ve always had very good support since I came over here. I have always had family and friends coming over to watch the games and my family still come over to the majority of them. It wasn’t like I was on my own, not seeing anyone for months at a time. Also, I’ve been lucky because whichever team I have been at, I’ve always been located near an airport so I could always nip back for the odd weekend”.
Adam signed up at Stoke in the summer of 2005 and made his first team debut in 2005/06, scoring three goals in his second start on the final day of the season to become Stoke’s youngest ever hat-trick scorer.
“I really enjoyed my time at Stoke. I had an unbelievable first season. I went over as a youth team player but managed to break into the first team squad around Christmas and as a 17 year old, managed to make my debut for the first team and play some games in my first year, which was a brilliant experience.
“Johan Boskamp was the man who gave me my debut. He was a brilliant manager, very knowledgeable on the game. Like most Dutch coaches, he knew his stuff and knew how he wanted the game to be played. His style of play worked some weeks in the Championship and in some games it did not. Some games we passed teams off the pitch and other weeks we would get beat three or four nil.
“He insisted we played from the back, made us pass the ball and he was also not scared to give the young boys who were at the club a chance. You knew if you played well for the reserves or stood out in training that he would give you a game. I am obviously very grateful to him for giving me my debut.
“Then, as can happen in football, a new manager came in, Tony Pulis and my chances were more limited. I had to experience just trying to get through that and going out on loan, but overall it was an enjoyable time”.
With Pulis only employing footballers around seven feet in height, Adam took the chance of a week long trial with Inverness Caley Thistle in July 2008 and soon signed for the club, enjoying a profitable spell, notably in 2009/10 as his 24 goals helped drive Inverness on to promotion.
“I had a great time in Inverness, it’s a nice place to live. All the players have to live there as there is nowhere really outside that you can move to. You can’t commute to training! Because everyone lives there, the boys spend a lot of time socialising together. They would go for coffee after training, everyone would hang about together. All that brought a good spirit to the dressing room and a good atmosphere around the place. The team gelled well together and it really helps when you have that spirit. When everyone is living together, they become friends as well as teammates. That helps when you go out onto the pitch. You work harder for each other.
“It was a very similar dressing room to the one I found here when I walked into it for the first time, though there is a bit more experience. There is a great spirit in the dressing room and around the whole club”.
Goals inevitably attract interest and it came from down south again – though everywhere is south of Inverness I suppose. Birmingham City signed Adam at the end of his Iverness contract in 2011 and he embarked on an epic season in the Championship as they not only took on a heavy domestic schedule, but the UEFA Europa League too.
“We landed up playing something like 64 games in the season, which is very demanding. You need a good squad because if you are unfortunate and get a couple of injuries, you can struggle.
“In my opinion to do well in that league, it is about getting a good squad, getting a good group of lads together and getting a good spirit in the dressing room. If you do that, you can build something, just like you can in any league.
“Standard wise, I would say it was like the SPFL Premiership. Certain games I have played in up here have been a higher standard, others might be more like a League One game, it just depends who you are playing. There are a lot of big clubs in that division and a lot of big stadiums.
“Birmingham would be one of those clubs but they have just had a very difficult time off the field with their finances. When I signed, they had just lost four or five lads who had been part of the League Cup winning side a couple of months before. When they got relegated, they had to get rid of a lot of their higher earners.
“There were difficulties off the pitch but the players, manager and the fans can’t do anything about that. What it did though was to unify everyone, the players who were left and the supporters. They stuck by the team and really got behind us. Everyone looked out for each other and we were all pushing in the same direction”.
After a spell at Oldham, Adam joined forces with the Dons in January and could hardly have made a better start to life here.
“The start has been brilliant! I came in against Motherwell and managed to get involved. I thought we played really well that day and were very unlucky not to get the three points. We then had the two big cup games, we got the win against St Johnstone to get to the League Cup final and we followed that up by putting Celtic out of the Scottish Cup. It has been a good start and hopefully that continues.
“It hasn’t been too difficult for me as I have come into a team that is doing very well. It is different if you come in and the team is losing every week. It is a lot easier when you come into a club and there is a positive mood around the place. Obviously with all the games we have had to play, there hasn’t been a lot of time spent on the training field but when we have, the training has been very good. It has been sharp, hard work and time is spent on shape to let us know what is expected of us on a Saturday.
“There is good banter in the dressing room and a very good work ethic. Training is at a very high standard and there is a lot of preparation that goes into every game. The gaffer and Doc are very good at explaining what is wanted on the field
“There is a great group of lads in the dressing room who have made me very welcome. The gaffer and Tony Doc are very good at integrating all the lads in the squad. You can see the same with Shaleum and Alan who have also come in recently. Everyone at the club has been very helpful.
“It has helped having so many Irish lads in the dressing room, guys you can be mates with. You need one or two people to tell you what is expected of you, what training is like and to get a feel for the place”.
Those Irish lads had a wry smile when the European Championships draw was made last Sunday and pitted Scotland with the Republic of Ireland. There is a new leadership at the head of his national team and Adam feels that Ireland might be on the brink of something special under the new men.
“I thought the appointment of Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane was a very good one. I have spoken to Roy on a few occasions and he always comes across very well. I know there was a lot said about the whole World Cup situation when he left the squad, but nobody really knows what went on behind the scenes. I think the two of them will do very well.
“They are both new in the post so they will have their opinions on different players. There is an opportunity for a lot of lads, but for me personally it is just about playing for Aberdeen. Everyone dreams of playing for their country, I am no different and Jonny and Willo would be the same.
“You have to be playing very well for your club to have any chance of playing for your country. I know Roy Keane was at the game at Celtic Park and would have seen how well Willo did”.
Adam’s not doing so bad either at the moment, though he puts a lot of that down to the men around him.
“The formation we play works for me because of the quality I have around me. Having Jonny, Niall and Peter running off you, taking on players and creating things, means I will get opportunities in the middle.We then have the likes of Willo and Barry sitting, also Nicky when he came in, dominating the game.
“The backline deserve a lot of credit too. I have been very impressed with Jamie and his concentration levels, and the defenders in front of him also do a great job. They give the forward players the licence to go and try and be creative because you know that even if a move breaks down, we have a defence behind us that will be difficult to get through. The most impressive thing though is the strength and depth of the squad.
“I have scored a few goals so far and could have had a few more! As a forward, it is great to be playing with so many good creative players. Pawlett, McGinn and Hayes are terrorising defenders at the minute which makes my job so much easier. We have a lot of pace in the team which also helps with attacks, especially on the counter attack. Even the lads in the middle, as well as working very hard and giving the team solidity they are also very creative and switch the ball well.
“Confidence is high within the squad but it is vital we keep the same work rate and attitude and don’t get carried away. It is vital we just focus on one game at a time.
“There is a great work rate throughout the squad and that is something I feel strongly about. I think if you are fortunate enough to be a professional footballer, you should always give your all and work as hard as you can for the team. That is the basics. Luckily enough, we have a squad full of players with the correct attitude. It is obviously a trait that the gaffer likes in a player. Even in training, everyone works really hard. He demands that. There is no slacking off. If we keep working hard, then we will get the rewards.
The fans have been brilliant since I have been here, and until last Tuesday, I’d only seen them away from home! It was rather unusual that I played five away matches before getting a chance to play my first home game! It felt like I have been here for a long time and had not even played at Pittodrie.
“I was told a lot about the fans by the gaffer and some of the players, but even then I have been surprised just how good they have been. They have really helped us in all the games so far. Hopefully over the next few months, we can give them something back to show how much we appreciate their support”.
“I was told a lot about the fans by the gaffer and some of the players, but even then I have been surprised just how good they have been. They have really helped us in all the games so far. Hopefully over the next few months, we can give them something back to show how much we appreciate their support”.
