John Rooney has completed a sensational return to Barrow after The Bluebirds paid an undisclosed fee to Stockport County to bring the midfield star back to the Club.
The 31-year-old has put pen to paper on a two-and-a-half-year deal at The Dunes Hotel Stadium as boss Mark Cooper further strengthens his squad for the League Two run-in.
Rooney played a key role in The Bluebirds’ promotion from the National League in 2019/20, proudly wearing the captain’s armband as the Club secured their historic return to the EFL.
His astonishing form saw him fire 20 goals from midfield during the landmark campaign, including a memorable hat-trick in the 7-0 thrashing of Ebbsfleet United in January 2020.
Ambitious Stockport paid a fee to take him to Edgeley Park that summer and he has gone on to score 23 goals in just 62 appearances for The Hatters since then.
However, the Barrow hierarchy have always kept tabs on his progress and, after finding out he had become available for transfer, have now moved quickly to rubberstamp his return.
Having initially emerged from Everton’s Academy where he was on the books from just six-years-old, Rooney took his first steps into senior football at Macclesfield Town where he made 41 appearances.
The Liverpool-born star then spent time in America playing the MLS for New York Red Bulls and Orlando City before clinching a return to England in 2012 to sign for Barnsley.
After a short spell with Bury, a loan to Chester turned permanent in 2014 and he went on to make over 100 appearances there before going on to play for Wrexham and Guiseley.
It was in 2018 when he first appeared in a Barrow shirt, spending two seasons in Cumbria during which he made 96 appearances in total and scored 30 goals.
Rooney has been handed the number 30 shirt and will go straight into contention to make his second Bluebirds debut in Tuesday evening’s League Two fixture at Northampton Town.