Kai Rooney could make the bench again when Man Utd’s U18s take on Oxford in the FA Youth Cup tonight.
Chants of “Rooooney, Roooney, Roooney,” returned to Old Trafford in December. Kai Rooney made his competitive debut at Old Trafford, and his father proudly watched from the stands.
It was a full-circle moment as Wayne Rooney’s son played at the venue where he rose to become one of the world’s best players. The 40-year-old scored 253 goals for Manchester United, won five Premier League titles and the Champions League to cement himself in the club’s history books.
Kai Rooney will enjoy a brilliant career if he can achieve a fraction of what his father did. There could be added pressure in the future because of the name on his shirt, but right now, he is just a 16-year-old who is learning each week in the academy at Carrington.
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Wayne Rooney tried to avoid attention when he arrived at Old Trafford to watch his son in the FA Youth Cup against Derby, but a hood did not succeed in disguising his identity from a few excited supporters outside the ground, who stopped him for photographs as he arrived.
Kai will naturally attract similar attention, but his father and mother have made a deliberate effort to protect him from any noise. They only wanted him to play football if he wished to.
His parents have done a good job of keeping him grounded. Kai Rooney has taken time to pose for photos with young fans, and he recently used shin pads gifted to him by a supporter during an academy game.
The youngster first had a ball at his feet at four years old, and he was picked up by United’s academy as a boy. Kai supports Everton, like his father, but he has admitted a “love” for United.
For a few years, Kai Rooney has been living like a professional with a view to achieving his dream of reaching United’s first-team. That has meant extra training sessions outside of Carrington and getting his diet right: pasta, chicken, salmon, rice, and oatmeal with honey and protein powder in the morning of a game.
Kai Rooney has attended Manchester Grammar School. He previously described himself as “mainly a striker who scores goals”, but coaches have recently switched him to the right wing.
In 2023, Kai Rooney was asked if his dad gives him advice and said: “It’s a lot about scoring goals because he was pretty good at scoring goals. So it’s mainly tips about that. He is preparing me to get into professional football with the right mentality. He’s helping me a lot.
“He watched the last game and he’s been looking at the fixtures. He says he’s pleased with them all. My dreams are to win the Premier League, Champions League and the World Cup.”
Speaking about his hopes for the future, he said: “Hopefully I will be playing in the Premier League for United, that’s where I see myself, but I’ve got to make it happen with the hard work.
“My dad helped me through some of the hard times and taught me a lot about the game. Even just being in the car listening to him as a manager talking to all the players, that has helped.”
Kai Rooney is left-footed and drifts in from the right wing after his position switch, and he’s been able to craft his finishing technique under the guidance of one of the best strikers the game has ever seen.
His father has spoken in a handful of interviews about the importance of Kai enjoying playing the sport, but the youngster is slowly approaching the age when football becomes professional.
The earliest age an academy player can sign a professional deal is 17. Kai Rooney recently called out a report that suggested he’d already been offered a pro deal worth £50,000 per year after a scholarship.
Kai Rooney made headlines when he played at Old Trafford in the Youth Cup. The youngster has only made three appearances in the league for the Under-18s this season, but he was given a cameo from off the bench.
He could make the bench again when the U18s play Oxford at the Kassam Stadium in the Youth Cup tonight, but that is not guaranteed, given the strength in Darren Fletcher’s squad.
Fletcher can call upon players who have plenty of Under-21 football experience in the competition, so Kai Rooney did well to make his debut in the Youth Cup just a month after turning 16.
If Kai Rooney isn’t involved much in the Youth Cup for the remainder of this season, the silver lining is that he will still be eligible for the competition for another two campaigns.
The youngster started in the Under-16 Manchester derby last weekend. Michael Carrick was there to watch his son, Jayce, play in the same game, and it’s heartwarming to see the two players on the same team.
If the U18s beat Oxford in the fifth round of the Youth Cup, they will play either Sunderland or Brighton at Old Trafford in the quarter-finals. If Kai Rooney is involved in that squad, provided the U18s progress, it’s a safe bet there will be further chants of “Rooooney, Roooney, Roooney,” from the stands.
Who knows? He could wear his father’s famous No.10 shirt for United in the Premier League one day.
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