Kai Rooney’s disappointing news, Wayne and Coleen support, Man United statement
Kai Rooney has received some unwelcome news just days after his latest Manchester United success
Kai Rooney has been hit with some devastating news(Image: James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
Kai Rooney has confirmed he will miss the rest of the season after picking up an injury.
The 16-year-old had been on a major rise in trajectory for Manchester United after making seven appearances and finding the net twice. The teenager was part of the U16s side that won the Premier League Shield and has featured for Darren Fletcher’s U18s team throughout this campaign.
Kai is aiming to follow in his father Wayne’s footsteps at Old Trafford. The forward became an icon at United, scoring 253 goals and assisting 143 times in 559 appearances for the club.
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He won a plethora of silverware, including five Premier League titles, one Champions League, a Europa League trophy and plenty of domestic cups.
Kai had been developing well at United this season but a spanner has now been thrown into the works. Here, The Manchester Evening News has all the latest on the teenage superstar.
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Heartbreaking injury
Kai Rooney confirmed he has sustained an injury that will rule him out for the rest of the season. This will in turn deny the teenager the chance of featuring in the U18s bid for glory in the FA Youth Cup.
In a sad post on his Instagram story, the 16-year-old wrote: “Disappointed to be out for the rest of the season. Back stronger next pre-season,” alongside a red love heart emoji. The caption was written on top of a black-and-white image of Kai in a United kit during a game.
The United youth side have been finding success with Kai in the squad, as he made his first appearance at Old Trafford in a FA Youth Cup fourth-round win over Derby County. The team will face Crystal Palace in the semi-finals and will face the same opponents at Selhurst Park in the Premier League Cup final.
The U18s are locked in a battle at the top of the league with Manchester City but Kai will now no longer be able to participate in the run-in.
Support from within
Parents Wayne and Coleen were on hand to support Kai at his final appearance before his injury was confirmed. The 16-year-old helped the U16s to a statement 2-0 win in the Premier League Shield on Tuesday.
The Rooney clan were in attendance to cheer Kai on as Wayne posted a picture of the teenager with a medal around his neck on social media. Youngest brother Cass was also there to take in the victory.
Despite previously banning his famous dad from attending the games as per Coleen, the young star’s mother admitted he is used to handling fame. Speaking to The Times, Coleen said: “He’s lived it from a young age.
“When we used to go to matches when he was younger and he’d get a lot of people coming up saying, ‘Oh, are you Wayne Rooney’s son?’
“But he is strong-minded and he always has been. I’ve got no worries about the way he deals with it. It’s nice that we know what to expect.
“And we can try to guide him. Obviously, it’s his life, his passion. He can decide what he wants to do. But I think it’s good we’ve got the knowledge.”
Statement made
Kai has been enjoying a great year so far in the youth brackets of United’s academy set-up. After scoring for the U18s, the teenager has been offered a scholarship in the youth system and will be able to sign a professional deal next campaign.
The youngster has also signed with Triple S Sports, an agency that secured a long-term deal with dad Wayne. Other United first-team stars, including Harry Maguire, are among the agency’s clients.
They announced the signing on Instagram with a caption that said: “Delighted to announce the signing of @kairooney.10 to Triple S Sports! We’re excited to begin working with the Manchester United forward as he continues his journey in the game. A bright future ahead.”
The left-winger signed a boot deal with Puma in 2022 when he was just 12 years old, too. However, Kai is not allowed to wear his Puma boots when playing for the U16s due to a longstanding club policy.
Speaking to the Smith Brothers: Not A Podcast, dad Wayne said: “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.”
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