Roo the man!

ATHLETIC TARGET: Adam Rooney helped Swindon reach last season’s League One play-offs with 10 goals in 33 appearances.

Johnson has striker in his sights
ATHLETIC hope to round off their summer striker shopping by bringing in Adam Rooney.

The Dublin-born forward (25) is currently in a protracted dispute with Swindon over a contract he signed on joining the County Ground outfit on loan last season.

Athletic believe they are in prime position to land a player with a highly respectable scoring record — who netted against manager Lee Johnson’s side with a superb overhead kick in a 1-1 draw at the County Ground in March — on a free transfer.

“I am a big admirer of Adam and I would love to bring him in,” Johnson told the Chronicle. “He has an dispute which involves Swindon and the PFA, but if that gets resolved, he would be a fantastic signing for us and a player who is of exactly the profile I want.”

Rooney, who fits the bill of strength and an eye for goals, had a prolific spell in Scotland with Inverness, in which he scored 53 times in 117 games up to 2011.

His move to Birmingham didn’t yield regular football in the Championship. But after his switch to Swindon last August he scored 10 times in 33 matches as the Robins made the League One play-offs.

Part of the deal that took him to Swindon - then managed by Paolo Di Canio - was a clause that he would get a two-year contract from July 1. A change in club ownership led to a renegotiation, since Swindon’s new chairman Jed McCrory was worried at the potential cost of the deal.

The impasse resulted in the PFA’s legal team being brought in to represent Rooney, who is believed not to be in training with the team.

Currently, Athletic have four strikers on their books: Jose Baxter, Jonson Clarke-Harris, Kirk Millar and Charlie MacDonald. While Rooney appears set to land at Boundary Park, the legal issues mean the timescale is uncertain. But Athletic are prepared to wait.


ANTON Rodgers has signed a one-year contract with Athletic.
The midfielder, son of Liverpool manager Brendan, had been with Brighton for two seasons and has signed at Boundary park after a successful trial.

The club has the option of extending the deal for another 12 months.

Rodgers started his career at Chelsea, before moving to Brighton at 18. Last season he spent a short time with Exeter, when he played two games.

He played in Athletic’s friendly draw with Dinamo Bucharest a week ago.