Manchester United Wayne Rooney has openly flouted an unusual ban imposed by his son Kai, who plays for United’s Under-18s team
Wayne Rooney has broken a long-standing family rule by attending a match to watch his son Kai in action for Manchester United’s Under-18s. The 16-year-old is following in his father’s footsteps at United, having progressed through the club’s academy since joining in 2009.
Kai made his Old Trafford debut on Friday, coming on as a substitute in extra time as United’s U-18s secured a 2-1 victory over Derby U-18s in the FA Youth Cup fourth round.
Wayne and his wife Coleen were spotted in the stands, despite the former England captain being officially ‘banned’ from attending Kai’s games due to the attention his presence often draws.
Fans frequently swarm Wayne for autographs, prompting Kai to restrict him from watching live matches to avoid distractions at pitch-side. “That’s the thing with kids I think, it’s hard to go on days out,” Coleen explained 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.
READ MORE: Wayne and Coleen Rooney watch on as son Kai, 16, makes Old Trafford debutREAD MORE: Kai Rooney had perfect response to questions about dad Wayne as he drops Man Utd hint
“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 made his debut for United’s U-18s in August last year, aged just 15. Fittingly, the fixture came against Everton, his dad’s boyhood club. He has made a handful of appearances for the team in the months since and has regularly impressed, particularly as one of the youngest players in the age group.
Spotting in the crowd next to Wayne and Coleen was Man United interim head coach Michael Carrick, as well as his assistants, Steven Holland, Jonny Evans and Jonathan Woodgate.
Carrick has made a point of throwing himself into all levels of the club since being named United manager until the end of the season following the departure of Ruben Amorim earlier this month.
On his decision to attend, 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.
“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 made his Old Trafford debut five years after signing his first contract with the very club where his father shone so brilliantly, becoming United’s all-time leading scorer. As he stepped onto the pitch, just over 2,000 spectators serenaded him with chants of “Rooney, Rooney.”
While Kai is well on his way to carving out his own path, it’s worth remembering that Wayne had already burst onto the scene at Everton at the same age, famously scoring a long-range goal against Arsenal to become one of the youngest goalscorers in Premier League history.
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Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
