Kai Rooney’s mum, Coleen, has offered some intriguing insight into where her sons’ careers could head – and it may not be to follow in dad Wayne’s footsteps
Manchester United prospect Kai Rooney may be following in dad Wayne‘s footsteps at club level. However, the similarities in career path may end there after mother Coleen‘s latest reveal.
Rooney Jr, 16, is making the kind of moves to signal he’s got what it takes to fashion a career in football. He’s joined up with Darren Fletcher’s under-18 side this season and played a part in the squad that’s taken United to an FA Youth Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace.
But while he may be on the fast track at club level, it may not end up being his dad’s old England side – who face Uruguay this evening – Kai represents at international level. Not only that, but Coleen recently appeared on The Late, Late Show and confessed any of her four sons could be open to representing the Republic of Ireland instead.
“Obviously they’re so young yet,” she told host Patrick Kielty. “We haven’t got to that point, but I think they’d be proud to play for Ireland, yeah.
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“But I don’t know, they don’t know. Let’s let them make the decision.”
Both Wayne and Coleen have Irish heritage, and the former could have qualified to pull on the iconic green through his grandparents. It’s a similar case for Coleen, whose father Tony McLoughlin, a former bricklayer, also hails from Irish stock.
In the event he struggled to earn the attention of English selectors, Kai could therefore find a home across the Irish Sea. And the same might be said for any of his brothers should they chase a career in the sport, either.
Wayne and Coleen share three other boys in Klay, 12, Kit, 10, and Cass, eight. However, none among that trio have gathered nearly the same excitement as their eldest sibling in terms of sporting prospects just yet.
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Kai first started exciting scouts when he raked in 56 goals and 28 assists over the course of a campaign while playing for United’s under-12s. However, he’s still yet to really take off with Fletcher’s group just yet.
Coleen has revealed Wayne, England’s former top scorer, agreed to not attend Kai’s matches for a spell, simply because he gets mobbed by fans too often. However, he broke that treaty for United’s recent quarter-final win over Sunderland in the FA Youth Cup, though Kai was an unused substitute.
He’ll hope to set the record straight by making more of an impact in their upcoming semi against Palace on April 11. And a few more star turns may be enough to earn the attention of certain international setups, including the Republic of Ireland.
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