Wayne Rooney and Coleen Rooney have both reacted to the latest news surrounding their son at Manchester United
Kai Rooney of Manchester United looks on during the FA Youth Cup Final match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Joie Stadium on May 14, 2026 in Manchester, England.
Kai Rooney's Puma football boot ban has been lifted at Manchester United(Image: Getty )
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Wayne and Coleen Rooney have expressed joy over their son Kai signing a scholarship deal with Manchester United, which ended the club's ban on his sponsored boots.
The 16-year-old, who has been part of United's youth ranks since the age of 11, penned his deal to mark a huge moment in his young career, allowing him to follow in his legendary dad’s footsteps at the club. A scholarship allows youngsters to continue studying while pursuing a career in football, and to sign a professional contract when they turn 17.
His mum, Coleen, commented on a picture posted by the official United Instagram account showing the club’s first-year scholars signing their respective deals. She wrote: "Brilliant boys," along with a fire emoji, a love heart and clapping hands.
Reds hero Wayne, meanwhile, shared a story of his son with the caption: "Proud of you," along with a love heart and a pen-signing emoji
Rooney, given his age, can no longer play for United’s Under-16s side. Having already celebrated his 16th birthday before the August 31 cutoff, he will now permanently step up age groups.
In doing so, the talented forward will also no longer be banned from wearing his sponsored Puma football boots. United have a club policy whereby players in the U16s or younger are not permitted to wear sponsored boots. Instead, every player must wear the same footwear.
Kai Rooney and his family
Wayne and Coleen have shown their support for Kai(Image: WayneRooney Instagram)
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Rooney Jnr. inked the sponsorship deal with the brand in 2022 when he was just 12 years old. Speaking last year on The Smith Brothers: Not A Podcast, Wayne explained the ban by saying: "He’s obviously with Puma but when he plays for the Manchester United U16s, something which I really like is he can’t wear his Puma boots.
"All the academy have to wear the same boots. They do it because there’s people from areas where they can’t afford certain boots so I think it’s really good. But he’s played for the U18s a few times and he can then wear his Puma boots. He’s doing well to be fair to him."
Kai featured six times for the U18s last season as he made his debut at the age group when he was 15 in a 1-0 win against Everton last August. Sadly, he suffered a season-ending injury in March, which left him out of action for United's FA Youth Cup final against Manchester City, which the Reds lost 2-1.