It was a proud moment for the Rooneys last week as they watched son Kai make his Old Trafford debut for Manchester United U18s, but he could’ve taken a different path
Wayne and Coleen Rooney were proud parents as they watched their eldest son Kai follow in his dad’s footsteps last week. The 16-year-old made his Old Trafford debut for Manchester United U18s in a 2-1 win over Derby County in the FA Youth Cup.
It is more than two decades since Wayne first donned a United shirt in 2004, going on to become the club’s all-time top scorer with 253 goals in 559 games. At the time of his retirement in 2021, the 40-year-old was also England’s record goalscorer.
Having watched his dad build a legacy in the sport, Kai’s burgeoning football career leads to inevitable comparisons. However, Wayne and Coleen were aware of the scrutiny their sons would face and never pressured them to pursue football.
This was the reason Kai was allowed to join Manchester City at the age of seven, after admitting he was not enjoying his time at United. Kai left City when his dad moved stateside with DC United. He would eventually return to United in 2020, though his Old Trafford bow was a rare opportunity for Wayne to watch his son in action.
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“Kai told Wayne to stop coming to football games when he played grassroots tournaments and stuff, because he used to get swarmed, and he couldn’t even watch the game,” Coleen explained on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here in 2024.
“How do you say to all of these kids, ‘Go away, I’m watching my son?’ Adults, it’s different, you could speak to them, so he just said, ‘Oh, dad, there’s no point you coming because you don’t even watch me play anyway.’ Which is sad, but it can’t be helped.”
Kai made his United U18s debut as a 15-year-old earlier this season, shortly before his 16th birthday. Last week, he began the FA Youth Cup tie as a substitute, coming on in extra time as Darren Fletcher’s side advanced with a 2-1 win.
Wayne and Coleen were seen taking photos as Kai made his way onto the pitch. After treading on the turf alongside his dad for numerous laps of honour, Kai is beginning to make his own way at the club.
Following the Derby match, Wayne posted a photo of himself with a young Kai on social media. His caption read: “Then and now. Proud of you, Kai.”
Kai’s parents were sitting alongside first team interim boss Michael Carrick, whose son is also in United’s academy. Wayne has recently been vocal about the important role that youth should play at United, having been critical of Ruben Amorim’s approach.
Kai has grown up in the spotlight and was made a Puma ambassador at 12. Coleen has previously explained her and Wayne’s approach to parenting young footballers and revealed how their eldest child responds to comparisons with his dad.
“We’ve never pressured them into even playing football,” Coleen told the Mirror in September 2024. “We’ve always just let them decide what they want to do. My eight-year-old was playing and doing really well but then decided he didn’t want to, and that’s OK.
“I think they sometimes get pressure off other people, you know. People approach them now and then if we’re out, they do say, ‘Are you are as good as your dad?’
“Kai says, ‘I’m a different type of player.’ You’ve got to let them know that you don’t have to follow and to be your own person.”