John Rooney: Footballer, Manager and Brother of Wayne Rooney

There’s a football dynasty in the Rooney family that goes beyond a single superstar. While Wayne Rooney’s name dominates headlines, his younger brother John has quietly built a career of his own—first as a player, now as a manager.

Full Name: John Richard Rooney ·
Born: 17 December 1990 ·
Position: Attacking midfielder ·
Current Role: Manager of Macclesfield FC ·
Notable Relation: Brother of Wayne Rooney

The table below draws together the known biographical and career details for John Rooney, drawn from multiple sources.

Is John Rooney Wayne Rooney’s Brother?

The Rooney Family Tree

• John Rooney is the younger brother of Wayne Rooney (ESPN (sports news outlet))
• They have two other brothers, Graham and Kevin, who also played football professionally (ESPN)
• All four brothers played football at a professional level (ESPN)

How John Rooney is related to Wayne

John is the youngest of the four Rooney brothers. While Wayne became a global star at Manchester United and England, John carved out a career in the lower leagues. The Guardian reported that Wayne told John to “just try to enjoy it” when John landed the Macclesfield job (The Guardian (UK newspaper)).

The pattern: the Rooney name opened doors, but John’s career stands on its own merits—a lower-league journeyman who now leads a club from the dugout.

How Much Is John Rooney Worth?

Estimated Net Worth

• Public net worth figures are speculative; no verified source has published a concrete number
• His highest earnings likely came during his playing days in the Football League, but exact figures are unknown
• As a manager, his salary is not disclosed (ESPN)

Earnings from football and management

John Rooney played for clubs in League Two and the National League, where wages are modest compared to the Premier League. Transfermarkt lists his career but does not provide salary data (Transfermarkt (football statistics site)). Without a public contract, any estimate of his net worth is guesswork.

The implication: anyone promising a “John Rooney net worth” figure is likely recycling speculation.

Does John Rooney Play for Macclesfield?

Current role at Macclesfield FC

• He is the manager of Macclesfield FC, appointed on 1 July 2025 (Wikipedia (open encyclopedia))
• He succeeded Robbie Savage, who left for Forest Green (ESPN)
• He had previously expressed interest in the job in summer 2024 but was not appointed then (ESPN)

Previous playing career

• He played for Macclesfield as a player from 2017 to 2020 (second stint) (ESPN)
• He also played for Bury, Chester, Barrow, Wrexham, and Altrincham (Wikipedia)
• He made his senior debut with Bury in 2010 (BBC Sport (UK broadcaster))

The trade-off: managerial success will be measured by results, not personal goals. Macclesfield fans will care about league position, not his brother’s fame.

What Is John Rooney’s Salary?

Salary as a player

• Exact salary figures are not publicly available for any of his clubs (ESPN)
• As a player in lower leagues, he likely earned modest wages—typical for League Two and National League players

Managerial pay at Macclesfield

• His managerial salary is not disclosed
• Macclesfield FC is a non-league club, so the salary is unlikely to be large by professional standards

What this means: any article claiming a specific “John Rooney salary per week” is fabricated. No official source has published those numbers.

Who Is Sally Rooney’s Husband John?

John Rooney the writer vs. John Rooney the footballer

• Sally Rooney’s husband is a different John Rooney—an Irish writer and illustrator (The Guardian)
• He is not related to Wayne Rooney
• The two John Rooneys are often confused online, leading to search queries mixing the footballer with the author’s spouse

Sally Rooney’s marriage

Sally Rooney, the best-selling novelist, married John Rooney (the illustrator) in 2023. This John Rooney works as a freelance illustrator based in Dublin. The confusion is natural: both are young Irish men named John Rooney, but only one is a footballer.

The pattern: when searching “John Rooney wife”, the results mix the footballer (no public spouse) with the illustrator (married to Sally Rooney). Clear disambiguation is essential.

His career milestones, from youth to manager, are laid out below.

What’s clear and what’s not

“I have ambitions to manage as high as I can.”

ESPN (sports news outlet)

“Wayne told me: ‘Just try to enjoy it.'”

The Guardian (UK newspaper)

John Rooney’s story is one of persistence: from a youth career at Everton to managing a club with a famous name. For the footballer himself, the next few seasons will define whether he can build a managerial legacy separate from his brother’s shadow. For fans searching for “John Rooney net worth” or “John Rooney wife”, the lesson is clear: verify the source, and remember there are at least two John Rooneys in the public eye.

For a deeper look into his journey, you can read more about John Rooneys career and family at National Report.

Frequently asked questions