Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has broken a rule imposed by his son Kai, who plays for United's Under-18s team
Kai Rooney and Wayne Rooney during Nordoff Robbins' Legends of Football at JW Marriott Grosvenor House on October 07, 2024 in London, England.
Wayne Rooney has broken a strict family rule regarding his son Kai(Image: JMEnternational/Getty Images)
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Wayne Rooney has broken a long-held family agreement by turning up to watch his son Kai play for Manchester United's Under-18s.
The 16-year-old, who is the eldest of the Rooney children, is treading a similar path to his famous father at United, having risen through the academy ranks after arriving at the club in 2009. Kai appeared at Old Trafford for the first time on Friday night, introduced from the bench during extra time as United's U-18 side edged past Derby U-18s with a 2-1 win in the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup.
Both Wayne and Coleen Rooney were seen among the spectators, even though the former England skipper has been officially 'banned' from attending Kai's matches because of the disruption his presence can cause.
Supporters regularly crowd around Wayne seeking autographs and photos, which led Kai to ask his dad not to attend games in person so there would be fewer distractions on the touchline. "That's the thing with kids I think, it's hard to go on days out," Coleen said back in 2024.
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"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."
Kai first played for United's U-18s in August of last year at just 15 years old. Appropriately, that match came against Everton, the club Wayne supported growing up. Since then, Kai has featured several times and caught the eye, especially given he is among the youngest in his squad.
Coleen and Wayne Rooney watch on from the stands as their son Kai plays during the FA Youth Cup fourth round match between Manchester United and Derby County
Wayne Rooney (wearing a baseball cap) and wife Coleen were in attendance as Kai made his Old Trafford debut(Image: Getty Images)
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Also visible in the stands alongside Wayne and Coleen was Manchester United interim head coach Michael Carrick, joined by members of his coaching staff, including Steven Holland, Jonny Evans and Jonathan Woodgate.
Since being appointed United boss until the end of the campaign following Ruben Amorim's exit earlier this month, Carrick has made a concerted effort to stay involved across every level of the club.
Explaining why he attended the match, Carrick said: "My message of support is that I'm coming along to watch and I'm excited. I was lucky enough to play in and win the FA Youth Cup when I was young at West Ham.
Kai Rooney in action for Manchester United U18 v Middlesbrough
Kai Rooney has been rising through the ranks at United since 2009(Image: Getty)
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"It's such an important competition, especially for this club. Young players, Old Trafford under the floodlights, feeling what it means, a bit of expectation.
"It's a fantastic opportunity for the young boys to go and take the next step. We're all fully behind them, it'll be a tough game, but we're looking forward to it."
Kai's Old Trafford outing came five years after he signed his first deal with the same club where his father enjoyed such a glittering career, ultimately becoming United's record goalscorer. When Kai entered the field, a crowd of just over 2,000 fans welcomed him with chants of "Rooney, Rooney."
Although Kai is forging his own journey, it is worth noting that Wayne had already made headlines at Everton by that age, memorably scoring from distance against Arsenal to become one of the Premier League's youngest-ever goalscorers.