Kai Rooney has been a part of the Manchester United academy since 2020, but his father Wayne has revealed that the 16-year-old has changed position to suit the modern game
Wayne Rooney with his son Kai
Wayne Rooney has shared an update on his son Kai (Image: Getty Images)
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Wayne Rooney has revealed how his eldest son, Kai, has switched positions to adapt to the modern game.
The 16-year-old has been part of the Manchester United academy since 2020, where he has excelled across various age groups as a striker. However, the Reds legend recently disclosed that Kai has transitioned to the right wing, underlining the challenge the modern game presents regarding players' reluctance to operate as a traditional number nine.
During a discussion on the Wayne Rooney Show about young English strikers struggling to adjust to Premier League football, the 40-year-old responded: "The standard of English players has increased massively, I just think it's purely because they don't want to play number nine.
"The way the game is tactically. If you look worldwide there's not many number nines. So it's not just a problem in England, it's a problem throughout the world in number nines."
When discussion shifted to Kai's role as a striker, Rooney clarified: "He's gone to the right. Left-footed, coming in off the right," reinforcing his argument that developing as a traditional goalscorer has become unfashionable.
This comes shortly after Kai stated that his life 'couldn't get any worse' earlier this year following a crushing blow in the form of an injury.
Manchester United's Kai Rooney in action during the Under 18 Premier League between Manchester United U18s and Middlesbrough U18s at Carrington Training Ground on August 23, 2025 in Manchester, England.
Manchester United youngster Kai Rooney spent a chunk of time out injured this year
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The teenage prospect shared a sombre update on Instagram, appearing in pyjamas and on crutches, underlining just how serious his injury is. Whilst Kai is understood to have sustained the problem whilst representing the United youth side, the precise details of how it occurred, along with the specific nature of the injury, have not been disclosed.
Encouragingly, it seems Kai could be returning to fitness soon, as the youngster posted several images of himself in Dubai on social media last month. He wrote alongside the photographs: "Recovering," accompanied by an emoji of a face shrouded in smoke.
In addition, Kai shared a photograph of his striking white Puma boots, adorned with fluorescent designs, on his Instagram stories on Thursday. He also tagged the manufacturer in the temporary story with emojis of bubbles and a face featuring love hearts for eyes.
This follows Rooney's recent comments to the BBC about how his son manages the expectations of pursuing a professional football career whilst bearing his family surname on his shirt.
He said: "He has great coaches at Manchester United, so I take a stand-off approach. I speak to him, but for me it's all about his mentality and his mindset, to make sure he keeps enjoying it - that's the main thing for me."
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