St Mirren today confirmed Shaun Rooney’s departure from the club. The 28-year-old defender was last month charged with assaulting a woman in a Glasgow takeaway.
He has also been charged with breach of the peace involving an 18-year-old male outside the Blue Lagoon chip shop during the alleged incident on September 19.
Police Scotland confirmed this charge is being treated as a hate crime and he will appear before Glasgow Sheriff Court at a later date.
The Buddies suspended Rooney on a “precautionary basis” but – in a short statement issued yesterday morning – say the summer signing has now left by “mutual consent”.
In a press conference at the club’s Ralston training ground looking ahead to Saints’ Premiership trip to Hearts on Saturday, manager Stephen Robinson said: “It’s not ideal, of course.
“It means that we’re a player down but the club have made a statement on it and there’s nothing really further to say on it.
“It’s a club decision, it’s a mutual agreement and there’s an ongoing investigation obviously so there’s not a whole lot more I can really say on it.
“My sole focus is on what I can control and I control the football side of it and I have to fully concentrate on that.
“It’s not ideal [losing a player at this stage of the season]. I’m not going to pretend it’s an ideal situation for anybody.”
Rooney had been a first-team regular for Saints after signing a two-year deal following a spell with Sky Bet League Two side Fleetwood Town.
The wing-back, who made 10 appearances, scored just 16 minutes into his debut at home to Icelandic outfit FC Valur in the UEFA Conference League at the beginning of August.
He is a St Johnstone legend after netting the winners in both the Scottish Cup and League Cup finals at Hampden three years ago. The Perth side won both matches 1-0, against Hibernian and Livingston, respectively, to ensure Rooney’s place in the McDiarmid Park history books.
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