“Lucky to share my surname with Wayne!”: Sean Rooney

Sean Rooney is making heads turn this season. Besides being prolific in his performances with Bengaluru FC, the 24-year-old Australian forward is also one of the second-highest scorers in the Airtel I-League at the moment. He signed for the Bangalore outfit in August this year, and has already netted in seven goals, out of eight games.

The former Salgaocar goal-poacher is now very keen on making an impact with the I-League debutantes, and he speaks about it in a freewheeling chat with www.i-league.org. Besides his Club, Rooney also tells how lucky he is to share such a surname with Wayne! EXCERPTS:

Sean, how has your journey been with Bengaluru FC so far?

It’s been great so far. The Club, the coaching staff, and everyone involved have taken care of me, and backed me in every step. Besides that, I’m also enjoying playing with the Club, and am keen on giving my best so that we finish the season as high as possible in the league table.

Bangalore have had a terrific start to the season. Do you think it will continue until the end?

It definitely will. This form will continue, that is more than obvious. We are playing a good brand of football, more specifically a good brand of attacking football, and we have got a good coach as well. The Club is looking forward to finishing as high as possible, and continue being known as the title contenders.

The boys are putting in a lot of effort, and it shows in the way we are performing at the moment. The coaching staff have also put in a lot of effort, and our performance can only get better.

How has Coach Ashley Westwood been to you personally?

He has been very helpful. His style of attacking football augurs well with the team, and the boys love playing under him. The brand of football he implements definitely helps us personally and as a result, the team performs well as a compact unit.

What impact does the surname Rooney have on you? 

(Smiles) Obviously I’m very lucky! Wayne Rooney is one of the world’s best strikers, and he loves to score. I feel I’m very fortunate to share the surname, and I really hope to emulate what he has achieved in football. I love the way he approaches the game, and the way he performs at the highest level.

I indeed look up to him.

Have you adjusted to life in Bangalore?

Oh yes, it almost feels like another home. The crowd and the supporters have been incredible. Whenever there is a home match, the noise level in the stadium is just amazing. Not only that, the amount of fans cheering for us and travelling all the way for our away matches is also commendable.