Who is Macclesfield manager John Rooney?

The Silkmen will next play Brentford in the fourth round of the competition, having beaten the cup holders in a sensational 2-1 home victory last weekend.

"Did I ever think we would get the win and through to the next round? No, I probably didn't," Rooney said afterwards.

"There was always that bit of hope and, as it's the FA Cup, it throws up mad moments. I thought we were the well-deserved winners and credit to the lads. They were absolutely outstanding."

He added: "When I was in the bar you should have seen it, it was nuts in there. None of them had showered, they were in their kits behind the bar pouring their own pints."

Here is what you need to know about the manager of the hour.

Who is John Rooney?

John Rooney, 35, is the manager of Macclesfield Town football club and a former player.

He has only been managing the team since the beginning of this season, having retired as a player in 2024-25, but has already made a splash with his team knocking out Crystal Palace from the FA Cup.

Macclesfield are currently 14th in the National League north after 22 games.

Are John Rooney and Wayne Rooney related?

John Rooney is the younger brother of Wayne, the former England captain, who is a legend for Everton and Manchester United.

The older Rooney was a pundit for the BBC when Macclesfield pulled off their shock against Crystal Palace, and couldn't contain his emotions, crying as they pulled off the 2-1 win.

"Well done to everyone at Macclesfield," Wayne Rooney said. "Unbelievable achievement and more than deserved."

"Couldn't be any prouder of my brother, John," he added.

Both Rooneys' cousin, Tommy Rooney, played for Macclesfield Town in 2004 while another cousin, Jake Rooney, is currently on the books of Derby County.

The family is of Irish descent and John had suggested he could play for Ireland, despite Wayne being England captain and one-time record goalscorer. The younger Rooney was never called up, however.

Who did John Rooney play for?

John Rooney played for many lower league clubs over a career that spanned nearly 20 years.

A midfielder, he both started and finished his career at Macclesfield, but had a long stint at Chester as well as Barrow, while he was perhaps most prolific for Stockport County - where he scored 20 goals in 55.

John Rooney's complete career stats

• Macclesfield (2007-10): Appearances 25; Goals 3
• New York Red Bulls (2011): Appearances 5; Goals 0
• Barnsley (2012-13): Appearances 0; Goals 0
• Bury (2013-14): Appearances 3; Goals 0
• Chester (2013-16): Appearances 112; Goals 26
• Wrexham (2016-17): Appearances 33; Goals 11
• Guiseley (2017-18): Appearances 38; Goals 7
• Barrow (2018-20): Appearances 83; Goals 29
• Stockport County (2020-22): Appearances 55; Goals 20
• Barrow (2022): Appearances 27; Goals 6
• Oldham Athletic (2022-23): Appearances 32; Goals 2
• Macclesfield (2023-24): Appearances 42; Goals 4

FA Cup Fourth Round draw in full

Macclesfield have another home game against Premier League team Brentford.

Most of the games will be played on Saturday, February 14.

• Liverpool v Brighton & Hove Albion
• Stoke City v Fulham
• Oxford United v Sunderland
• Southampton v Leicester City
• Wrexham v Ipswich Town
• Arsenal v Wigan Athletic
• Hull City v Chelsea
• Burton Albion v West Ham United
• Burnley v Mansfield Town
• Norwich City v West Bromwich Albion
• Port Vale v Bristol City
• Grimsby Town v Wolverhampton Wanderers
• Aston Villa v Newcastle United
• Manchester City v Salford City or Swindon Town
• Macclesfield v Brentford
• Birmingham City v Leeds United