LUCY ADAMSON meets the son of a famous footballer who is making his feet do the talking in a different way.

THE art of the footballer's dive has often been compared to a theatrical performance and 31-year-old actor Kevin Rooney speaks from a more knowledgeable position than most to make the comparison.

Set to continue in the National Theatre's production of the classic musical Guys and Dolls this month, Rooney junior is the son of ex-Celtic player and coach, Benny Rooney. Similar to his father, Rooney has always had a desire to perform and since moving to London several years ago, has realised his dream of widening his acting experience to include roles in such prestigious series as Alan Bleasdale's C4 drama, Melissa.

Born in Dundee, Rooney was brought up in a close-knit community in Cambuslang near Glasgow, and it was schooling at the city's Hutcheson's Grammar which first enabled him to develop his acting experience with the full blessing of his parents. ''It was a very academic school and I think they were more concerned about my choice of career than my parents were. I'd definitely describe it as a vocational career and you get out what you put into it,'' he said.

Rooney praises his father's sense of theatre both on and off the pitch and confessed to a complete lack of soccer knowledge, even as far as being unable to head a football at a recent press conference. ''Dad's quite a showman. I think it would have been one of his dreams for me to be a footballer, but to this day I don't think I've kicked a ball.''

Benny, who was also manager of Morton from the late 1970s, has a not-so-secret penchant for the work of king of swing, Frank Sinatra, and proudly confirms the theatrical connection between father and son. ''I think the two professions are definitely alike in as much as we both have to perform and in a lot of ways you have to be an extrovert.''

Both parents attend most of the opening nights of their son's performances and in typical parental fashion, his father describes the inevitability of his son's success which they spotted from an even earlier age. A starring role in his primary school's production of Joseph and his Amazing

Technicolour Dreamcoat was the first indication to his

parents that ensuing success would follow.

Benny says: ''That's when we first knew he had a talent. From a very early age it has been all he has ever wanted to do and we have never tried to detract him from that. Our family are very close and we have always taken an interest in his career, but just now when he has started to get a bit of recognition it's a great excitement for us.''

His first television appearance was with couthy soap, High Road. ''I had two lines speaking to a postman and for the life of me I can't remember what they were.''

His drama serial sights are now set on the dizzy heights

of something akin to the

high production values of an Inspector Morse.

Rooney describes his recent reward of a contract at the National Theatre as the highlight of his career so far. ''When I got the contract it was stunning, because the performance had been done about 12 years ago by Richard Eyre, NT Director, to critical acclaim and this is almost like one of his swan songs. It might have been seen as quite a risk to try and live up to that previous production and be as equally successful, but it's working really well.'' Eyre is moving on this summer to be replaced by Trevor Nunn.

Rooney is full of nothing but praise for the place affectionately described by those who work there as ''Butlins on the Thames''. ''The National is one of the best centres for work I've worked in. From the moment you walk in, they treat you really well as an actor and you get all the chances to meet the best people, the best actors, and the best designers to work with. You are so happy to spend all your time there. The atmosphere is just buzzing.''

He is well aware of his director's recent remarks concerning the debate for a National Theatre for Scotland and is perhaps a natural advocate of a model almost identical to the one currently in operation on the South Bank of the Thames. Speaking from his London home, he is aware his comments may seem somewhat shallow being distanced by more than 500 miles, but he still supports the benefits of what he sees as an opportunity not only for home-grown

talent to develop, but also increase the foreign repertoire available to Scottish audiences. He adds: ''It should always pool from resources everywhere and make sure there were visiting companies and people from around the world, but I wouldn't like it to take it away from some of the existing work.

''I think in a perfect world it would be ideal to have something like London has. It is the chance of a lifetime to work in this environment and it all happens under the one roof.''

As far as his immediate career plans go, London will remain his home for the time being, but a return to Scotland is not out of the question. ''I still work in Scotland, but a lot of the casting is still done in London, but I believe that situation is changing. It seems the grass is always greener on the other side. At the moment I'm happy but at some point I would like to move up to Scotland and have a base down here.'' A great fan of Scottish theatres such as Edinburgh's Traverse and Glasgow's Tron and Citizen's, he hopes to work with them at some point.

n Guys and Dolls is running at London's National Theatre until mid November.