Jimmy Rooney

James Rooney (born 10 December 1945)[2] is a former footballer. He was a member of the Australian 1974 FIFA World Cup squad in West Germany.

Jimmy Rooney
Personal information
Full name James Rooney[1]
Date of birth (1945-12-10) 10 December 1945
Place of birth Dundee, Scotland
Position(s) Left winger
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1964–1965 Lochee Harp
1965–1967 Peterborough United 7 (2)
1967–1968 Montrose FC 13 (1)
1968–1969 Essendon Lions
1970–1971 Prague
1972–1976 APIA Leichhardt
1977–1978 Club Marconi
1979–1981 Fitzroy Alexander 72
National team
1970–1980 Australia 57 (20)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Biography

Rooney was a left winger who played first team football with Lochee Harp, Peterborough United and Montrose F.C. in the United Kingdom, before emigrating to Melbourne, Australia in the late 1960s. He was an instant success there with Ukrainian Essendon Lions before transferring to Sydney to join the Prague club in 1970, and later playing at APIA Leichhardt, in the New South Wales First Division. In 1977, with APIA not joining the newly formed National Soccer League, Rooney joined Marconi Fairfield for two seasons, before moving back to Victoria where he played with Fitzroy Alexander and Croydon City Arrows.

He made his Australian debut against an England XI in 1971, going on play 57 times for his country (although he also accrued caps in "B" team fixtures, bringing the total to 102) in a career spanning a decade.[3] He was Australia's first choice midfielder in the 1974 FIFA World Cup campaign, earning himself many admirers for his hard tackling and ball distribution. The Jimmy Rooney Medal, awarded from 1992 onwards to the man of the match in the Victorian Premier League Grand Final, was named in his honour.

He has recently settled to a managerial role of Victorian senior team, Eastern Lions, and also hosts a junior training program. He was also the head coach of the first eleven soccer team at St Kevin's College, Melbourne, Australia. In his second season in charge in 2009, he delivered the APS soccer premiership to the school, ending a nine-year drought.

In 2018, he was signed as Manager of the St. Kevin's Old Boys Soccer Club. He is known for his tenacious approach and heavy use of his favorite players: Chris Frangou, Seamus Liddy and Stephen Morison.

References
  1. "Jimmy Rooney". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  2. Match report, including date of birth
  3. "Socceroos Greats - Where are they now: Jimmy Rooney". SBS. 27 March 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
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