Rooney and Broony are hitting it off for the Cod Army
They tell you to never meet your heroes for fear of them falling short of your high expectations.
But there’s been no letdown for Shaun Rooney since he went a giant step further by working for his idol.
Rooney was chuffed to become Scott Brown’s first signing as manager of Fleetwood Town.
The St Johnstone wing-back long admired Brown from afar as he lifted a succession of trophies for his beloved Celtic.
Rooney even plotted to ask Brown for his shirt on the Celtic legend’s Parkhead farewell appearance two years ago.
However, before Rooney could ask the souvenir question, the Hoops captain left the pitch in the 63rd minute of a 4-0 win.
Rooney, who now finds himself on the sidelines after being stretchered off injured against Oxford United last midweek, admits to loving playing under the managerial rookie on the Fylde Coast.
For the 26-year-old, the experience is everything he hoped it would be.
Rooney said: “I’ve always supported Celtic so, when Scott Brown came calling, I immediately said: ‘Yes’.
“I wasn’t nervous before working for him. I talked to people who knew him.
“Playing for him is what I thought it would be like. If you work hard, he’s going to be happy with you.
“And that’s what I do. I want to come in every day and do my best for everyone.
“I go to the gym in early morning, then to the training pitch to work on things before training.
“He’s never said there’s anything wrong about that, so I hope he likes what I do. You’ve got to show him that you should be starting every game.”
Rooney reveals Brown’s often abrasive demeanour as a player bossing the pitch for Celtic and his managerial approach with the Cod Army are contrasting.
“They’re not similar at all. He’s totally different,” said Rooney. “Look, I wasn’t expecting ‘in your face’ because you can’t be like that as a manager.
“But I did think there would be more shouting. After a defeat, obviously he’s not happy.
“We conceded from a freekick the other week, and that’s the gaffer’s pet hate. That hurt him.
“He’s ruthless, and he tells you how it is. But he also tries to pick everyone up after a setback.
“I’m impressed with his dedication. He works very hard tactically. He doesn’t leave the place until late, and you can tell he’s done his work on other teams.
“Obviously from playing against him, I knew this big personality. He just started laughing at me the day I asked for Odsonne Edouard’s top.
“I asked Edouard at 1-0 up and he ended up scoring two. So, okay, I don’t think that looked good.”
Rooney scored an overdue first goal for Fleetwood in a 3-0 win over Accrington last Saturday.
Despite the relentless League One schedule, he’s kept a keen eye on St Johnstone’s progress.
He didn’t enjoy going from Hampden scoring hero in two cup finals to last year’s relegation fight. But he’s confident better times lie ahead for Callum Davidson’s squad.
“I watched them beat Hibs, where I felt they did very well to come back and win,” said Rooney.
“They’ve had a couple of massive wins recently. I’m obviously delighted for them. To see Stevie May back on the scoresheet is good.
“I hope getting back in the top six or the European spots is possible for them.”