Adam Rooney has completed his move from Aberdeen to Salford City.
The National League North side agreed an undisclosed fee with the Dons for Rooney and announced his signing on Thursday morning.
It brings to an end Rooney’s prolific four-year stay in the Granite City, where he scored 88 goals in 187 games and broke the 20-goal mark in three of the last four seasons.
He was not a preferred option towards the end of the 2017-18 season, with Stevie May and January arrival Sam Cosgrove getting the nod. May and Cosgrove remain the Dons’ two senior strikers, with Bruce Anderson promoted from the under-20s side.
Manager Derek McInnes had tried to lure Doncaster Rovers striker John Marquis north over the summer, with a bid believed to be in the region of £250,000 turned down by the League 1 outfit.
Rooney rose to prominence in Scottish football with Caley Thistle before joining Birmingham City in 2011. He joined Aberdeen mid-way through the 2013-14 campaign and helped them win the League Cup against his former club Inverness.
He said: “I can’t thank the fans enough for what they’ve done. Not just at the games, but in and around the City and out where we are in Ellon, myself and the family have had a great relationship with them and it’s been brilliant. Anywhere we go we’ve been treated well by everyone and it’s been a brilliant club to play for.
“Also everyone around the club, it’s not just the players here, have been brilliant with me. It’s a real family club. I think I’ve known everyone’s first name from my time over the years and it’s not as if there’s only four or five people working here.
“Everyone get’s on well, everyone’s pulling in the same direction whether it’s the football staff, the media team or catering staff, everyone at the club are really good people and it’s been great to get to know them. It’s not an easy decision when you’ve come so close to the club.
Everyone at Aberdeen Football Club wishes Adam and his family all the very best for the move to Salford and for the future.
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— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) July 19, 2018
“It wasn’t easy, but I just felt my time was coming to an end here and the opportunity came up at Salford. I spoke to my family about and I felt it would be a good opportunity for something new. I wasn’t keen to go somewhere else in Scotland and the move (to Salford) is something I’m really looking forward to taking part in and hopefully making a name for myself there.
“I certainly wasn’t booted out the door. Unfortunately, in football you feel your time comes to an end at certain periods in your career and you have to move on and we felt it was the right time for everyone.
“The reason I came here, and I had other options, was to work with the Gaffer. We’ve had a great relationship and this is the happiest I’ve been at any club throughout my career. It’s been the most enjoyable experience and the Gaffer, Doc and everyone around the club has played a huge part in that.
“It’s a brilliant club to play for and hopefully the club’s going to continue to have more success.”