Wayne Rooney watched his son Kai follow in his footsteps as he made his Old Trafford debut for Manchester United's U18s in a 2-1 extra-time win over Derby County in the FA Youth Cup. The club's all-time top goalscorer was in the stands as former teammate Darren Fletcher led his side to the competition's quarter-finals.
Older English football fans will remember when 16-year-old Wayne Rooney made his mark on his Premier League debut when he scored a long-range strike for Everton against Arsenal in 2002. He went on to become one of the biggest names in the sport, and he'll be hoping Kai enjoys similar success.
Wayne's eldest son has been a member of United's academy since the age of 11, and there are high hopes for the versatile attacker. The club's caretaker manager, Michael Carrick, and other members of his backroom staff were joined by the former England captain and his wife, Coleen, in the directors' box.
Kai Rooney Debuts For Man Utd U18s
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The young winger came on in the 99th minute, with the score still 0-0, but an own goal from Derby defender Luca Crolla and a neat finish from former Arsenal academy striker Chido Obi helped the Red Devils progress. Kai had already scored his first goal for the team in a U18 League Cup match last month, but this was his first appearance at the club's Carrington training ground.
Kai played out on the right wing and showed glimpses of real promise with his dribbling abilities, tricking his way past the opposition on several occasions with his quick feet. He has a different profile than his father as he is predominantly left-footed and he used this to try and cut inside numerous times while finding a teammate.
Wearing the number 18, Kai nearly grabbed an asssist when he nutmegged an opposition player before playing Chido Obi through on goal but the young frontman's chip just flew inches past the post. He showed willingness to get on the end of long balls over the top while showing his pace.
You can watch his Old Trafford U18s debut below:
Kai will be hoping to have done enough to convince Fletcher of a starting role moving forward as he continues to climb the ranks at youth level. His father, Wayne, didn't join United until the age of 18 from Everton in 2004 but he cemented his legacy as one of the club's all-time greats, winning 16 major trophies.
The English teen prospect posted a snap earlier in the day of himself accompanying his father on the Old Trafford pitch as a young child. He also posted an Instagram photo celebrating the victory over Derby, and several of his teammates responded, with Fletcher's son Jack writing, "Young bull."
Fans are excited for what's to come for Kai and one wrote in response to his appearance: That’s a proper full-circle moment Kai Rooney making his competitive debut at Old Trafford with his dad and Carrick watching on is special. The pressure is real, but the legacy lives on — exciting times ahead."
Another pointed out the magnitude of his outing: "Pretty mental that Kai Rooney is playing with players who have appeared for Uniteds first team."
One added: "Next thing United fans will be saying bench Mbeumo and play Kai Rooney."
Kai's competitive debut wasn't the only eye-catching moment on the night, as he was one of three youngsters who appeared to many to have bright futures ahead of them. Chido Obi has already made his senior debut and he has already made history at youth level with record-breaking goalscoring numbers while at Arsenal.
JJ Gabriel is arguably the most promising talent at Carrington, and the 15-year-old is often described as "generational." Nicknamed 'Kid Messi' he is expected to be part of the club's pre-season tour this summer and has had the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona showing interest.
Wayne Rooney Impressed By Kai's Mentality
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Kai will be eager to one day pull on a United shirt for the senior team and try to replicate his father's playing career, although Wayne doesn't want fans to put too much pressure on his son. The legendary former striker told BBC Sport back in July 2025:
"I just let him play... He just plays and that's all he's done during his time playing. I think it's very unfair for anyone to expect him to go and do all kinds. He's just playing, he's a 15-year-old boy playing his football, enjoying it. Of course he gets different attention to a lot of his team-mates but I think he handles that really well."
Kai is coached by Wayne's former teammate Fletcher, and he is happy with the coaching staff while confident his son has the right mindset:
"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."
If Kai were to debut for United's senior team,, he and Wayne would be the latest father and son duo to play for the Red Devils. They would join Fletcher and his son Jack, with the latter appearing under former manager Ruben Amorim last year.