Kai Rooney has been making a name for himself in the Manchester United academy, but will now face a spell on the sidelines due to injury
Kai Rooney, Coleen Rooney and Wayne Rooney attend the Liverpool screening of "Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story" at Everyman Cinema Liverpool on October 18, 2023 in Liverpool, England.
Kai's mum Coleen has spoken out about the Rooney family in the past
(Image: Anthony Devlin/Getty Images for Disney+)
Kai Rooney has been climbing the ranks at Manchester United, hoping to emulate his father's success at Old Trafford.
The 15-year-old is the eldest son of Red Devils legend Wayne Rooney, who claimed numerous major honours during his illustrious career at the club. Kai recently earned promotion to United's Under-19s setup following standout performances in the Under-18s, including scoring a spectacular volley that caught the eye of senior coaching staff.
The teenage sensation joined the United academy back in 2016, establishing himself as a formidable presence on the field. Kai has featured just twice in the U18 Premier League, finding the net once across 35 minutes of action - though he did manage an extraordinary 56 goals during one campaign for the youth set-up.
However, any hopes of a rapid rise through the ranks have been put on temporary hold as he faces a spell on the sidelines. This comes after Kai picked up an undisclosed leg injury.
The extent of the injury or duration of his absence remains unknown, though his own reaction suggests he could be out for a considerable period. He shared a mirror selfie showing a protective boot on his right foot, accompanied by the message "life can't get worse" with a crying emoji.
While supporters of the Rooney family will be disappointed by this development, Wayne and wife Coleen, will undoubtedly provide excellent support, given his father's extensive experience managing setbacks while competing at an elite level.
Kai Rooney wearing a protective boot in a mirror selfie.
Kai Rooney will be out of action for some time(Image: Instagram/kairooney.10)
Despite being a Premier League legend and an ideal role model for his son, Wayne has been barred from attending his child's football matches. This surprising rule wasn't imposed by the club or any manager but rather by his own son Kai, as Coleen revealed during her appearance on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!
While in the jungle, the 39-year-old shared her son's tough yet selfless decision with her fellow campmates. "That's the thing with kids, I think, it's hard to go on days out," said Coleen.
"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. 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 anyway. At the same time, the fans help you along the way and get you where you are."
Kai Rooney and Wayne Rooney during Nordoff Robbins' Legends of Football at JW Marriott Grosvenor House on October 07, 2024 in London, England.
Wayne is banned from watching his eldest son play
(Image: JMEnternational/Getty Images)
However, it's not just Wayne's presence that impacts Kai while he's playing. The teenager often faces verbal taunts from opposing players about his famous father. During an episode of the Stick to Football podcast, Coleen recounted an incident where Kai missed a penalty in a tournament after a comment about his dad left him angry.
She said: "A few years ago, I remember my son Kai took a penalty at St George's Park, where we were for a tournament. It went to penalties, Kai stepped up and just skied it.
"Afterwards, I asked him how he could take a penalty like that, and he told me he was just fuming as the goalkeeper was saying, 'Your dad's s***', and he got dead angry. It doesn't happen to him very often, but it did then, and you can see in some games where they give you a little push. He's strong-minded though and usually shrugs it off."