Highlights have emerged of Wayne Rooney's eldest son, Kai, making his debut for Manchester United's Under-18s as he continues to try and follow in his legendary father's footsteps. Kai has been making waves in the Old Trafford academy for quite some time, with recent performances and goals earning plenty of headlines.
Given that his dad broke into the Everton first team at 16 and was one of the greatest wonderkids there's ever been, it would take some doing to come close to making the same mark so early in his career as his iconic old man. However, at just 15, Kai has made the step up to Under-18s competition, and his highlights certainly show signs of promise.
Kai Rooney's U18 Highlights
Sporting the number 16 on his back, Rooney junior made his U18 debut, somewhat fittingly against another of his dad’s former teams, Everton. Coming on in the 74th minute with the Red Devils leading 1-0, the youngster went straight up top and made almost an immediate impact.
While his first action saw him unfortunate to get his feet stuck under the ball and be dispossessed, his second involvement was almost perfect. Receiving the ball from the left-hand side, Rooney guided it across his body, completely selling the Everton defender before unleashing an effort at goal.
The strike cannoned off the inside of the post, and even the commentator thought Rooney had bagged a debut goal - until realising it had instead rebounded to another United attacker, who couldn’t put away the follow-up.
That was the 15-year-old's best chance of the game, with his only other attacking involvement seeing him burst past a defender and chase down a ball at the byline, which was ultimately smothered by the Everton goalkeeper.
While there wasn’t too much to analyse, what was clear was the number of similarities to his father, especially in his youth. While Kai may be left-footed compared to Wayne’s preference for his right, the speed and power he moves with is eerily similar to what the former Manchester United number 10 was known for in the early stages of his career.
Kai was also incredibly aggressive in the press, harrying defenders on the right flank at one point despite operating as the central striker.
After the final whistle, Rooney posted on his Instagram: “Happy to make U18s PL debut. Good start to the season. Ready for next game.”