The footballing pressure placed on Brooklyn Beckham and Kai Rooney resulted in very different responses
David and Brooklyn Beckham
David and Brooklyn Brooklyn are currently not on speaking terms(Image: PA)
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Brooklyn Beckham and Kai Rooney had contrasting reactions when it came to dealing with the pressure of being sons of football icons.
David and Victoria Beckham's eldest son Brooklyn turns 27 years old on Wednesday, while teenage Kai, 16, is the eldest of Wayne and Coleen Rooney's four sons. Currently in the midst of a very public feud with his parents, it was in January when Brooklyn accused of his parents for dominating much of his life.
Once following in the footsteps of his Manchester United icon father, Brooklyn used to be part of Arsenal's academy but walked away from football when he was 15 years old in 2014.
Now a business owner, Brooklyn's struggle to deal with the sporting legacy his father forged led to him quitting football, which was previously revealed by the Inter Miami co-owner in a 2015 interview.
Speaking to ABC at the time, David said: "One of my boys turned around to me the other day and said, 'Daddy, I'm not sure I want to play football all the time.' "It broke my heart a little bit.
David Beckham and Brooklyn Beckham
Brooklyn Beckham is the midst of a feud with his parents(Image: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
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"He said, 'Every time I went to the field, I know people are saying, 'This is David Beckham's son,' and if I am not as good as you, then it is not good enough.'" In a 2022 interview with Variety, Brooklyn admitted turning his back on football was "sad".
He said: "My dad wasn't sad, because he was like, 'I just want you to be happy.' But of course, I was sad. It was my whole life since I was literally two." Brooklyn's inability to handle the pressure is a far cry from Kai's circumstances.
The 16-year-old currently plays for Man United's U18 team as his father - the club's record goalscorer - casts quite the shadow given his historic legacy at Old Trafford. However, the illustrious career of Rooney is not hampering his son's belief in himself.
Kai Rooney and Wayne Rooney
Kai Rooney is following in the footsteps of his legendary father(Image: 2024 JMEnternational via Getty Images)
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While Rooney was primarily a centre-forward, Kai usually operates as a right-winger. Coleen spoke to the Mirror in September 2024 on the expectation placed on her children, Kai specifically, as she said: "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 OK. 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."