Kai Rooney could make his Old Trafford debut on Friday night as the young Reds take on Derby County in the FA Youth Cup.
Wayne Rooney in front of a TV camera.
Wayne Rooney has been spotted at Old Trafford on Friday night.(Image: Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
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Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has been spotted at Old Trafford for Friday evening's Under-18s game against Derby County as his son, Kai, could make his first outing at the Theatre of Dreams.
United's Under-18s meet the Midlands outfit in the FA Youth Cup looking to continue the club's long tradition of success in the tournament. Kai Rooney hinted that he could make his debut on social media earlier on in the day.
Ahead of the cup clash, Wayne Rooney was spotted arriving at Old Trafford. The United legend took time to take photos with supporters outside the stadium as he made his way to the entrance.
Kai Rooney was named on the bench for Friday's night game. Wayne Rooney was pictured sitting alongside first-team head coach Michael Carrick in the stands for the cup clash.
The 16-year-old has featured regularly for the Under-18s this season and, earlier in the day, he took to Instagram to tease his Old Trafford debut. Rooney Jr has posted a picture of him as a young boy walking around the Old Trafford pitch with his dad in the 2014/15 season. He wrote "OT" along with a red heart and eyes emoji.
Wayne Rooney had been "banned" from attending Kai's games early in his career. Coleen Rooney revealed on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here in 2024: "That's the thing with kids I think, it's hard to go on days out.
"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 (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. At the same time, the fans help you along the way and get you where you are."
Speaking about the possibility of Kai Rooney following in his famous father's footsteps, Coleen Rooney told Mirror Football in 2024: "We've never pressured them into even playing football... We've always just let them decide what they want to do.
"My eight-year-old was playing and doing really well but then decided he didn’t want to, and that's okay.
Kai Rooney and his dad, Wayne.
Kai Roonet shared this picture on his Instagram feed ahead of the game at Old Trafford.(Image: kairooney.10/Instagram)
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"I think they sometimes get pressure off other people, you know. People approach them now and then if we're out, they do say; 'Are you are as good as your dad'?
"Kai says; 'I'm a different type of player.' You've got to let them know that you don't have to follow and to be your own person."