Morecambe youngster needs game time

The teenager joined Northern Premier League West club Nantwich Town on an initial one-month loan last week.

He made his debut for the Dabbers in their 3-1 win against Kidsgrove Athletic on Saturday, playing the full game and having a role in two of the goals.

Mayor had a similar move away from the Mazuma Mobile Stadium, joining Colne, before returning and becoming an integral part of Adams’ squad.

The manager said: “That’s the reason we do it.

“We work in slow building blocks, we don’t throw them in straight away.

“We want them to build up their experience so we can use them when it’s the right time.

“He needs game time. He’s been playing Under-18 football and we want to put him into men’s football to acclimatise to that environment.”

Rooney’s move came 48 hours after scoring on his debut for the Shrimps in their EFL Trophy group stage win against Barrow AFC.

The 18-year-old was handed a start, netting the second in Morecambe’s 3-1 win before being replaced late on.

“It was great for him to come in, get a start and get a goal,” Adams added.

“He’s trained with us all season and I felt it was the right opportunity to give him a chance.”

Speaking after their weekend win, Nantwich boss Paul Carden was full of praise for his new arrival.

“He showed good intelligence which you’re going to get,” Carden said of Rooney.

He’s not going to be playing for Morecambe’s first team if he’s got nothing about him, which he clearly has. They value him highly.

“On Tuesday, I didn’t think it (the move) was happening. I got told he’d scored and I was ‘Fair play, good luck to him.’”

“Then I get a call after saying ‘It doesn’t change anything, we want him to go out and play,’ and he’s come here and shown what he’s about.

“I think he’ll only get better the more he gets used to the lads, the more he gets used to the roles we’re going to ask him to play.

“(A) Great shift by him, I’m looking forward to working with him and seeing more of it.”