Why Kai Rooney Has Banned Dad, Wayne, From Watching Him Play Football

Coleen Rooney, who came second in the finale of ‘I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!’ in 2024, revealed the heartbreaking reason her son Kai has banned his famous dad, Wayne Rooney, from watching him play football. Along with her eldest child Kai, 16, the TV personality shares three more sons with former Manchester United striker – Klay (11), Kit (eight) and Cass (seven).

While Kai strives to emulate his father’s past glory as he develops his talent in the Red Devils’ academy, it’s been challenging for the talisman-turned-pundit to attend his matches and witness the young forward’s goalscoring prowess in person.

Last year’s edition of Ant and Dec’s annual show saw the campmates in Australia share an unusually close bond. The Geordie hosts praised how quickly everyone connected, leading to more personal conversations being shared openly from the outset. One recurring topic was the challenges of fame, which revealed the poignant reason why Rooney struggles to attend his son’s matches.

Why Wayne Rooney Doesn’t Attend His Son’s Matches

Due to his dad’s enormous fame, his 15-year-old son has banned him from going to his matches, despite him playing for their beloved United. Speaking about the problems of fame on one of the final episodes of 2024’s edition of I’m a Celebrity, per The Sun, Coleen Rooney said: “That’s the thing with kids, I think, it’s hard to go on days out.

“Adults, it’s different you could speak to them, so he [Kai] 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 anyway,” Coleen continued before adding, “At the same time, the fans help you along the way and get you where you are.”

The glimpse into life in the Rooney household was the first of many, as the TV personality had also previously spoken about her miscarriage as well as how herself and Wayne fell in love during her time on the show.

Although Wayne, widely regarded as one of the best strikers of all time, has not been able to watch his son operate in the flesh, he’s still played a pivotal role. “I’m quite lucky where I live as I’ve got a little pitch there and when the kids say, ‘We’re coming on the pitch’, all they’re gonna do is tie the balls on the top corner,” the 40-year-old said on The Wayne Rooney Show recently.

“So when I say to them when I was younger, I remember setting a little square to practice passing into it and just playing off the wall,” he added. “So I’m very similar, [I tell them] ‘You need to work on your speed, you need to work on your technique and control.’ Otherwise, you go out and you’re just like, ‘Watch me hit the ball in the top corner.’”.

Kai Could Be Set for Old Trafford Debut Soon

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While a senior debut is currently off the cards given his age, the teenager is a regular for United’s Under-18s side, who are currently flying under the stewardship of former midfielder Darren Fletcher. He’s yet to have the chance to step out on the same Old Trafford turf, which his dad did hundreds of times, but that could well change in the near future as Fletcher’s side are set to face off against Peterborough United in the third round of the FA Youth Cup.

In 2024/25, the Under-18s were set to play at Old Trafford but the cost-cutting measures, initiated by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS-led team, meant they reverted to stepping out at Leight Sports Village, the stadium used for the majority of United Women’s games.

They’ve now been given the chance to play on the hallowed turf and Kai could be involved in proceedings given that he is currently coming to the end of his recovery period. In September, the youngster posted on his Instagram to suggest that his “life can’t get worse” after picking up an injury, which left him needing crutches on a day-to-day basis. According to Manchester Evening News, Kai is part of Fletcher’s group and, therefore, could take a major step in emulating his father’s trophy-laden career.