Wayne Rooney has explained why his son Kai was banned from doing one thing for Manchester United’s U16s
Wayne Rooney has revealed why his son Kai was banned from wearing his sponsored football boots by Manchester United.
Kai, 16, is following in his father’s legendary footsteps, having been part of United’s academy system since the age of 11. His surname carries tremendous weight given Wayne‘s status as United’s record goal-scorer with 253 goals across 559 appearances, along with five Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy during his 13-year spell at Old Trafford.
The left-footed youngster is showing potential within the academy setup, operating as a forward like his father did during his playing days. Kai, whose development has attracted significant attention from fans and the media alike, has already secured a commercial agreement, signing a boot sponsorship deal with Puma aged just 12 in 2022.
However, Wayne recently explained his son receives no special privileges within the United academy system. He revealed how Kai is banned from wearing his Puma boots for the U16s due to the club’s policy.
Wayne said on The Smith Brothers: Not A Podcast: “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.”
Kai has started featuring for United’s U18s this season aged just 15, a few months ahead of his November birthday. He made his first appearance as a substitute in their 1-0 victory against his father’s boyhood team, Everton, at Finch Farm in August.
In the following fixture, he came off the bench and netted the final goal of a dominant 5-0 win over Middlesbrough at Carrington. Unfortunately, he picked up an injury in the early weeks of the campaign and has only just returned to action, marking his comeback with a goal.
Wayne has three other sons with his wife Coleen – Klay, Kit and Cass. Like his elder sibling, Klay is also part of United’s academy system, whilst Cass plays in Everton’s youth setup, just as Wayne did during his early years. Their third son Kit has already decided to step away from football.
Kai remains focused on reaching the pinnacle of football, however, recently telling The Talent Hunter on Instagram where he hopes to be in five years. He said: “Playing on the biggest stage amongst the best players, winning trophies.”
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