He masterminded the greatest giant-killing triumph in the long history of the FA Cup, finally overshadowing his big brother, Wayne Rooney.
But there is a fascinating backstory around non-league Macclesfield’s hero John Rooney after their amazing win over Crystal Palace: his wife is uncannily like his famous sister-in-law Coleen.
The Daily Mail can reveal that both Rooney brothers married their childhood sweethearts, two girls who attended the same school as each other in the tough Liverpool neighbourhood where their families grew up together.
Though five years apart, Wayne’s wife Coleen, 39, and John’s partner Casey, 34, were pupils at St John Bosco – a Roman Catholic comprehensive for girls in Croxteth.
And the two sisters-in-law – who are understood to remain close – even look like each other.
Since the non-league club’s sensational upset last weekend, much has been made of the conflicting fortunes of the sporting Rooney siblings – one went on to become one of England’s greatest ever players while the other eked out a living as a journeyman midfielder in the lower leagues.
But when it comes to their choice of life partners the Rooney brothers could scarcely have been more alike.
John, 35, and Casey still live in the area – in the former council house where the Rooneys once grew up, we can reveal.
John Rooney and his wife, Casey, who is uncannily like his famous sister-in-law Coleen
Both Rooney brothers married their childhood sweethearts, two girls who attended the same school as each other in the tough Liverpool neighbourhood
John, 35, and Casey still live in the area – in the former council house where the Rooneys once grew up, we can reveal
Rooney beamed his new smile as he celebrated with his brother Wayne after the Palace match
The couple have lived a low-key life in the four bedroom mid-terrace house for a number of years bringing up their three young children.
They are parents to sons Shea, 13, and Brody, 10, and daughter Honor, 11.
Young Brody is hoping to follow in a great family tradition after he was signed up to play in Everton’s under nine team.
Neighbour Rachel Brown, 43, said of the couple: ‘They both have family in the area. I know they met when they were kids and soon settled down. They seem a very close knit family.’
The mother-of-two added: ‘It’s great John is doing well for himself.
‘Everyone knows Wayne but it’s nice John has his own time in the spotlight.’
Another neighbour told the Daily Mail: ‘They have lived here for years. They seem really close and are a very nice family.
‘Casey and John have been together for years – they seem very happy.’
Glamorous Casey – who describes herself as a ‘wife and mummy of three’ on her private Instagram page – has been happy to avoid the limelight.
But she once grabbed sporting headlines of her own thanks to her prowess in long-distance swimming.
In 2005 when Casey was just 14 she was the youngest of five Merseyside teenagers who became one of the youngest teams ever to swim the English Channel.
The squad from Everton Swimming Association spent two years training for the challenge and overcame the hazards of freezing waters, treacherous rip tides and jelly fish to swim across one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
After completing the 21-mile swim from Dover to Cap Gris-Nez and raising money for a series of charities, the team were treated to a VIP reception at the town hall by Liverpool’s then Lord Mayor Alan Deanl.
The previous year the then Casey-Lee Cornett was the youngest of 35 swimmers to tackle a charity swim on the River Mersey.
Her mother Margaret Maitland said at the time: ‘She took swimming up when she was eight and has always loved it. I’m really proud of it.’
Casey has two sisters and the family still live in the Croxteth home she grew up in.
The once notoriously gang-ridden neighbourhood is where she met the young John who attended the nearby De La Salle Roman Catholic comprehensive, which was then a boys’ school, along with Wayne, 40, and their other brother Graeme, 38.
In 1996 the Rooney brothers moved to the house where John lives now with unemployed dad Wayne Snr, 62, and school dinner lady mum Jeanette, 58.
Around that time all three boys were signed up by the youth academy at Everton – the club they supported and always dreamed of playing for – after honing their skills in neighbouring streets.
John has said of the boys’ childhood: ‘Just constantly football.
‘We’d make a ball out of anything, even if it was a pair of socks in the living room. TVs, pictures, everything got broken. We put a ball through the front window.
‘We’d be on the street playing, using lamp posts as goals. We had a nursery across from us, and used to climb over and play in there.
‘My uncle has had his own boxing gym for 40-odd years now, and we’d throw the gloves on and fight with each other.
‘Wayne’s the oldest so we’d make me and Graham fight. He had to take it easy on me, otherwise if he ended up giving me a smack then Wayne would give him one too. But that’s brothers.’
The siblings’ careers soon went off in different directions. Wayne was dubbed a teenage wonder kid after making his Everton debut aged just 16.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, he went on to become a Manchester United legend and England captain.
With his success came fabulous riches and he and Coleen now live with their four sons in a £20 million mansion near Knutsford, Cheshire.
John Rooney says he’s loving his team being on the TV because of the money they’re raking in
Images from his younger years a significant gap on the upper left hand side of his mouth
The property, which has been unflatteringly compared with a Morrisons superstore, comes complete with a home cinema, snooker room, indoor swimming pool, an underground spa, wine cellar, a stable area with space for 14 horses, two fishing lakes and its own football pitch.
He also owns a £5 million villa in Barbados, two properties in the US, including a waterfront apartment in Florida, and a second villa in Portugal.
But the first property he splashed out on after hitting the big time was a £420,000 detached family home in the more affluent Liverpool suburb of West Derby.
The house – which he bought as a 17-year-old in April 2003 as he launched his career at Everton in spectacular style – is where his parents still live today.
Around six months later, it was reported Wayne had also snapped up the council house he was brought up in under the right to buy scheme.
Official documents show the property is owned by Rooney’s parents and was bought in September 2003 for £18,630.
Wayne was said to be keen to keep it in the family for sentimental reasons and work was quickly underway to refurbish the property which was fitted with all the mod cons before a conservatory was added.
And it is here where John has made his home and where he finally returned to after wild celebrations following Macclesfield’s 2-1 victory over a team ranked 117 places higher in league football.
Croxteth has always held a place in the hearts of the brothers and Graeme lives three doors away from John in an end of terrace property with his partner Ashleigh.
In a BBC TV documentary in 2015 Wayne returned to his childhood home saying: ‘This is Crocky now. This is Croxted where I’m from.
‘Obviously it’s had its moments with a bit of violence, a bit of trouble over the years but I love the area and this has really helped me become the person I am.
‘You can live in a big house, drive nice cars but I’m from here – this is in me.
‘Regardless of what you achieve in life I think it’s always going to be the place where I grew up and where I learned a lot about life.’
Driving past the former family home he said: ‘This house here – this is where I grew up. My brother lives there now and my other brother lives two doors down.’
As Wayne made his professional debut in 2002, John suffered the disappointment of being released by Everton – and it was Macclesfield that threw him a footballing lifeline.
After being part of the youth set up he signed professional terms on July 14 2008.
After two years with the club, he went on to enjoy a stint in the USA with New York Red Bulls and Orlando City before returning to the UK in 2012.
During a career in the lower leagues he played for 11 clubs, largely in the north west of England, including Barnsley, Bury and Stockport County.
Wayne and Coleen Rooney with Wayne’s brother John (right) backstage at the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset
John ended his playing career back at Macclesfield before retiring last year and taking over from Robbie Savage as manager of the National League club.
And it was there that he oversaw one of football’s biggest ever shocks and John finally cemented his name in the beautiful game’s folklore.
Fittingly, his superstar brother was on hand, and close to tears, after Wayne joined in celebrations at the 5,300-capacity Moss Rose ground when the final whistle blew.
Wayne, who had jetted in from a holiday in Barbados to cover the match as a pundit for the BBC, said: ‘It’s incredible, I am getting emotional to see my younger brother achieve this.
‘He’s not been long in management and to get through to the fourth round of the FA Cup and beat Crystal Palace, I am so proud of him.’
Wayne – who won 11 major trophies as a player including the FA Cup – went on to describe witnessing the victory as ‘one of the proudest moments I’ve had in football’.
He added: ‘The thing that got me after the game, I was in the car on the way home and everyone was texting but I got a message off my mum. There were no words, it was just a picture of the two of us at the side of the pitch. You don’t know how much that means to us as a family.’
Looking back later at his older brother’s reaction to the win, John said: ‘He gets choked up watching films. He’s a bit of a softie in that sense as well.
‘It was a special day, especially to have him doing the game. To speak to him before and after the game means a lot.
‘To have my family there as well, my wife and kids, my little lad was actually on the pitch after the second goal.
‘He was the kid on the pitch with the players. I didn’t know until I got home and watched it back. It was a surreal day.’
While John has admitted it has not always been easy living in the shadow of his older brother, the family have always remained close.
In an interview in 2014 John said of Wayne: ‘I’m proud of him, not envious of him. That’s because he’s part of my family.
‘If anyone in my family does well, then I am proud of them too. He’s had a brilliant career and I’m pleased for him.’
Of his own career he said: ‘Clubs aren’t going to sign you just because you are Wayne Rooney’s brother.
‘They need someone they can trust – not because of a family link. You would soon be found out.
‘People are obviously going to bring Wayne up but I’ve got my own career. I’ve got to put myself first.’
Wayne and Coleen enjoyed a fun filled relaxing day at the beach as Wayne donned his black short-sleeve button-up shirt and beige shorts with Coleen showing off her enviable figure in a striking red strapless bikini
Wayne and Coleen live in a £20million Cheshire mega-mansion – which has been uncharitably dubbed the ‘Morrisons Mansion’
John and his brother are rarely seen in public together but they were spotted at the Glastonbury festival together in the past.
And the pair famously teamed up along with Graeme for a four-day stag do ahead of Wayne’s wedding to Coleen on the Italian Riviera in June 2008.
Wayne hired a hilltop villa in Ibiza and flew 13 friends and family to the island where they downed Sambuca shots at Lineker’s bar, enjoyed nights at clubs and sailed on a 60-foot yacht.
There could be more celebrations on the way as Macclesfield are set to host another Premier League team, Brentford, at their home ground in the fourth round of the cup next month.
Another talking point since the famous victory has been John’s dazzling teeth with viewers commenting on his impressive dental work after the match was broadcast live on TV.
He’ll, no doubt, be hoping for another opportunity to outshine his older brother and for the moment, at least, he’s got plenty to smile about.
