BY IAIN COLLIN – Capital City Press
Dunfermline have snapped up the latest highly-rated prospect to come out of Queen’s Park after adding Shaun Rooney to their squad.
The 19-year-old – who was earlier this summer on trial at Hearts and St Mirren – has been training with the Pars for over a fortnight to allow manager Allan Johnston to run the rule over the defender.
The youngster was an unused substitute for the Fifers in their recent 2-1 defeat to Peterhead and was handed a half-hour run-out, again as a trialist, in Saturday’s 3-1 victory over Stranraer.
Having since also played for the club’s under-20s in Tuesday’s 2-0 victory over their Hearts counterparts, Rooney has now penned a deal to bolster Johnston’s threadbare squad.
Chairman Bob Garmory said: “Shaun is a very talented young man and I have to say that Allan Johnston has set his stall out to bring that standard of player to the club since he joined us.
“He’s gone about his business in that respect very impressively and we’re delighted to welcome Shaun to the club.”
Rooney is bidding to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Andy Robertson, Aidan Connolly and Blair Spittal, who all moved to Dundee United, and Lawrence Shankland at Aberdeen in succeeding with moves to full-time football from Queen’s Park.
Dunfermline have also been running the rule over former Rangers midfielder Rhys McCabe in recent days and have had ex-Hibernian and Hamilton Accies striker Mickael Antoine-Curier on trial this summer.
@IainCollin
