Manchester United academy sides getting to play at Old Trafford is always a special moment, but during Friday night’s FA Youth Cup win over Derby County, Wayne Rooney got a moment that very few do.
The FA Youth Cup fourth round is now settled, with Manchester United beating Derby County 2-1 after extra time and a nervy end to the clash.
Chido Obi got the winner, a deserved goal considering how unfortunate he was not to have claimed a hat-trick prior to this.
Michael Carrick was in attendance, sat alongside arguably the greatest United player of all time, Wayne Rooney, who was there for a very special reason.
This was because Kai Rooney was in the U18 squad to potentially make his bow at Old Trafford, following in his father’s footsteps.
Now, Wayne has sent a message to his oldest son.
Who was your man of the match for Manchester United’s U18s in the FA Youth Cup win?
Which player stood out?
👇 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say
Wayne Rooney sends message to Kai Rooney after Old Trafford bow
Despite being junior to most of the squad and his opponents, Kai never looks out of place for the U18s, establishing himself among the club’s most exciting talents.
Chido Obi celebrates with teammates during Manchester United v Derby County
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Kai got off the bench against Derby as United progressed into the last 16 of the FA Youth Cup, with Wayne in the crowd to see it happen.
More United News
After the game, Wayne took to Instagram with a message for his son.
Wayne posted an image of himself and Kai from the 2015/16 campaign at Old Trafford, clapping fans, back when the kid was literally a kid. He then contrasted this with pictures of Kai in action last night.
He captioned the images, “Then and now. Proud of you @kairooney.10”, with a heart emoji.
Wayne has always been coy over Kai’s potential, not wanting to heap pressure onto him; however, now he has issued a glowing endorsement of the youngster, suggesting he likes what he sees.
Will Kai Rooney ever play for the Manchester United first team?
He's shown himself to be among the best at an U18 level, but can he reach that next level?
Kai Rooney
Getty Images
👇 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say
Kai Rooney has massive potential, and he’s already on the right track
While Kai is still a long way from earning first-team minutes and is also behind multiple players in the pecking order, his development is coming along really well with the U18s.
Kai has already notched up two goals under Darren Fletcher in his first season playing at this level and in quite limited minutes too.
This season has also seen Kai spend months out injured, so to return and be among the goals is impressive.
With Kai being a number nine, his finishing is already so impressive, to the extent that it must be genetic.
Getting Kai to the first team would be a wonderful moment that shows what United is all about. Youth. Courage. Success.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox