ABERDEEN STRIKER ADAM Rooney says that it would be “brilliant” if he could work his way into Martin O’Neill’s plans for Euro 2016.
The 27-year-old struck his 16th league goal of the season in Aberdeen’s 1-0 win over Dundee last Friday and has been consistently finding the net as the Dons chase Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
The former Birmingham City attacker’s tally of 16 goals in 23 appearances – 19 of which were starts – means that he is just two goals away from equalling his tally from last season, when he found the net 18 times in 37 league games.
“It would be brilliant to get to the Euros and any player would feel the same,” Rooney told the Daily Record. “The only way I have a chance of getting there is by doing a job here and making sure I’m scoring goals.
“My focus is on doing that here and seeing where it takes us. I assume the better Aberdeen are doing, the better it is for me.”
A regular for the Boys in Green at youth level, Rooney has never appeared for his country at senior level. The Dublin native faces competition from players such as Shane Long, Robbie Keane and Daryl Murphy for a place in the Irish attack.
While he has not yet appeared in a senior game, he was included in Martin O’Neill’s extended squad for games against Gibraltar and Georgia in September.
“Rooney’s scored some goals and I think it’s a matter of introducing him into the squad,” O’Neill told reporters in August. However, he was eventually cut from the final panel as the Ireland boss reduced his squad.
Rooney will return to action for Aberdeen against Celtic on 3 February.
