Wayne Rooney's son Kai has been flourishing in Manchester United's youth ranks for some time
Kai Rooney of Manchester United during the FA Youth Cup fourth round match between Manchester United and Derby County at Old Trafford on January 23, 2026 in Manchester, England.
Kai Rooney has been in the youth ranks at Manchester United for some time(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
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Wayne Rooney reckons Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Manchester United increased the pressure on his son Kai. Ronaldo's own son ended up playing on the same youth team as the now-16-year-old, leading to a surge in attention on the sidelines.
Kai has been making his way through United's youth rankings for some time, catching the attention of many fans of Wayne's as he aims to emulate his father's glittering career. However, the teenager is constantly under scrutiny due to the fame surrounding his surname.
This pressure intensified further when Ronaldo returned to his Premier League beginnings in 2021. The Portuguese icon moved back to Old Trafford after successful stints at Real Madrid and Juventus - and he brought his son, Cristiano Jr, along.
He joined Wayne's son Kai in the youth team, which also included current interim manager Michael Carrick's lad, Jacey. This trio formed part of the same age group at the time, and eyes were drawn to their fixtures.
Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show podcast in 2025, the former England international admitted that Cristiano Jr's appearance in the team made things harder for his boy. Wayne said: "There's a bit more pressure on them as well.
"Kai and [when Cristiano] Ronaldo came back, Ronaldo's lads and Michael Carrick's lad were all on the same team.
"You go and watch and then all of a sudden there's like 10 times the amount of people that's normally there, all around the pitch watching, so there's a lot more pressure because they're coming to watch the three kids to see how they play and stuff. They've got to be ready."
Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. of Portugal U15 looks on during the Vlatko Markovi International Match between Croatia U15 and Portugal U15 at Stadion SRC Mladost on May 18, 2025 in akovec, Croatia.
Cristiano Ronaldo Jr joined the United youth team(Image: Pixsell/MB Media/Getty Images)
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Kai Rooney of Manchester United during the FA Youth Cup fourth round match between Manchester United and Derby County at Old Trafford on January 23, 2026 in Manchester, England.
Rooney suffered as a result of Ronaldo's return(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
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It isn't just the Ronaldo name that has increased scrutiny on Kai - he even banned his own father from attending games due to the attention he receives. During her stint on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, Kai's mum Coleen opened up about the struggles her son faces just by being related to the United icon.
She said: "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."
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