Manchester United star Kai Rooney has delivered a powerful message after he missed a bulk of last season through injury
Young Manchester United star Kai Rooney is ready and raring to go, declaring, “Roll on pre-season.” The 16-year-old son of the iconic Wayne Rooney is preparing for what could be a pivotal season with Michael Carrick confirmed as the club’s new permanent boss in May.
Rooney Jnr was sidelined for the closing months of the 2025/26 campaign with injury following his Under-18s debut in January. However, he has uploaded a series of pictures as he resets and prepares for the next season, captioning his post with the three words that promise he is braced for the challenge ahead.
In another boost for the young forward, he will be allowed to wear his sponsored Puma boots for United next season. He was previously banned from wearing the football boots for the U16s due to a club policy.
However, the young Rooney won’t be turning out for them this year, as he celebrated his 16th birthday before the August 31 cut-off, meaning he will step up to age groups where the ban is not in place.
He inked the sponsorship deal with the brand in 2022 at just 12 years old. His father, Wayne, revealed that the club prohibited his Puma boots because every player at the U16 level wears the same footwear – and the United legend claimed he was a big fan of the ruling.
Speaking on The Smith Brothers: Not A Podcast, United’s all-time top scorer said: “He’s obviously with Puma, but when he plays for the Manchester United U16s, something which I really like is he can’t wear his Puma boots.
“All the academy have to wear the same boots. They do it because there’s people from areas where they can’t afford certain boots so I think it’s really good. But he’s played for the U18s a few times and he can then wear his Puma boots. He’s doing well to be fair to him.”
The starlet featured six times for the U18s last season as he made his debut at the age group when he was 15 in a 1-0 win against Everton last August.
He was dealt a rough blow when he suffered a season-ending injury in March, leaving him out of action for United’s FA Youth Cup final against Manchester City, which United lost 2-1.
Yet, going by his social media, which shows the youngster in the gym and catching up on some much-needed R&R, it looks as if he is all set to make an impact this season.
In an interview with The Talent Hunter on Instagram, he set out his ambitions when asked where he’d want to be in five years’ time. He said: “Playing on the biggest stage amongst the best players, winning trophies.”
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