Wayne Rooney went back on his word to son Kai but may have been left underwhelmed after his return to Old Trafford
Kai Rooney, Wayne Rooney and Coleen Rooney attend Nordoff Robbins' Legends of Football at JW Marriott Grosvenor House
Wayne Rooney broke his golden rule with son Kai but ended up disappointed(Image: JMEnternational, Getty Images)
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Wayne Rooney endured a frustrating evening watching Manchester United's FA Youth Cup quarter-final victory over Sunderland. The Red Devils icon's appearance means he violated a 'golden rule' established with son Kai, although the match didn't quite pan out as Rooney Jr. would have hoped.
The Old Trafford legend has apparently pledged to his 16-year-old that he wouldn't turn up to any more of his fixtures. Not because of any friction or bad feeling, mind, but rather because Rooney Sr. is consistently mobbed by supporters.
United's under-18s booked their place in the Youth Cup semi-finals on Wednesday following a 3-2 triumph over Sunderland. Chido Obi, Noah Ajayi and Junior Brown delivered the strikes in a fightback victory against the Black Cats.
Yet Rooney will still have been left frustrated after watching son Kai remain on the bench for the duration of the quarter-final. That's despite the fact he'll have also been delighted to witness the next generation of United talent progress as they pursue the trophy for the first time since 2022.
Like any youngster, Kai would presumably relish seeing his legendary father attend as many fixtures as possible. However, Wayne's wife, Coleen, previously disclosed their son's irritation after witnessing his dad's focus diverted by others whenever he showed up for his matches.
"That's the thing with kids I think, it's hard to go on days out," she said in 2024. "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.
Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick, caretaker head coach of Manchester United, John O'Shea, Darren Gibson and Senne Lammens of Manchester United watch on during the FA Youth Cup quarter final match between Manchester United and Sunderland at Old Trafford
Rooney watched his son's game alongside fellow United legends like Michael Carrick and John O'Shea(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
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"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."
Despite sitting out the quarter-final for Darren Fletcher's side's, Kai could get another opportunity next month when United face Crystal Palace in the semis. The Red Devils will battle the Eagles for a place in the FA Youth Cup final, where either Manchester City or Blackburn would await them.
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Fletcher has shown little hesitation in handing opportunities to exceptionally young talents within his squad, either. That was plain to see when 15-year-old JJ Gabriel was handed a prominent role in the victory over Sunderland.
Rooney Jr. has clocked up six appearances in total for United's under-18s this season. He has found the net just once, in a 5-0 thrashing of Middlesbrough back in August, and chipped in with a single assist. His only Youth Cup outing came as a late substitute in a win over Derby two months ago.
Kai is still striving to recapture the remarkable form that saw him rack up 56 goals and 28 assists in a single campaign for United's under-12s. With plenty of time ahead of him, the youngster is looking to follow in his father's footsteps and carve out his own legacy at Old Trafford.
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