Eventually, Adam Rooney decided to turn off his phone to evade the deluge of messages and calls sparked by his surprise move to Salford City from Aberdeen. Somewhat unexpectedly, and certainly unfairly, the striker became a lightning rod for opinion by making the switch down south from the Scottish Premiership to the National League. Everyone had a view on what Rooney’s move meant for Scottish football as a whole.
For those ignorant of the Scottish game, it was an indictment on the quality of football north of the border. Newspaper columns were written and radio phone-ins held to pick over the carcass left behind by Rooney, one of the country’s best strikers who had decided to leave Scotland’s second-best team for a team only just promoted to the fifth tier of the English league system.
Of course, all this discussion ignores how Rooney was far from a first pick for Aberdeen last season and how at 30 years old is entering the twilight of his career. It also ignores the resurgence which Scottish football is enjoying, particularly when it comes to European competition. This has become apparent this summer.
For years, Scottish clubs have floundered on the continent. Celtic have been rather consistent in qualifying for the group stages of the Champions League, but beyond that the likes of Aberdeen and Hibernian have done little, if anything at all, to boost Scotland’s coefficient. There has been a change in the tide, though.
Aberdeen’s showing against Burnley, last season’s ‘best of the rest’ side in the Premier League, in last week's Europa League qualifier proved how unfairly Scottish football is derided. The Dons looked like they belonged at such a level, taking their English opponents all the way to extra time before eventually losing.
Elsewhere, Hibernian saw off Asteras Tripoli in the second round of Europa League qualifying, with Rangers getting off to a good start under new manager Steven Gerrard by beating Croatian side Osijek to move within two rounds of making the competition’s group stage. Meanwhile, Celtic are on course to make the Champions League group stage for the third successive season.
It’s true that Scottish football clubs cannot compete with their Premier League counterparts such is the financial gulf between the two leagues, but that’s not to say there is no worth to the game north of the border. So many are ignorant about Scottish football, but there is a renaissance happening and Rooney’s move to Salford City does nothing to counter it.
"He's come down here because of the ambition of this club."
Grant Holt discusses Adam Rooney's move from the Scottish Premiership runners-up to the @TheNationalLge outfit.
