Kai Rooney, 16, has already played at Old Trafford as he aims to follow his father Wayne into the Man United first team

Manchester United prospect Kai Rooney has already outlined the scale of his ambitious targets. The teenager, son of legendary United forward Wayne, previously stated he aspired to be a regular fixture for the first team at Old Trafford within the next decade.

Kai, 16, has developed into one of United’s most promising talents in recent years. Much like his father, he is a prolific forward whose main strength lies in his goalscoring ability.

The youngster has recently moved into a right-wing position and made his first competitive appearance at Old Trafford in the FA Youth Cup. He is even eligible to feature for the first team this season, though he doesn’t look especially close after he missed much of the first half of the campaign through injury.

Speaking in 2023, he discussed the scope of his goals should he progress to elite level football. He demonstrated that, despite his footballing pedigree, he isn’t expecting things to be handed to him on a plate and is prepared to work tirelessly and commit fully to realising his aspirations.

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“In 10 years, hopefully I will be playing in the Premier League for Man United,” the youngster said. “That’s where I see myself but I’ve got to make it happen with the hard work and everything behind the scenes.

“I could play on the wing as well, but I’m mainly a striker that scores goals,” he said while representing Manchester Grammar Schools during an international tournament in 2023. “That’s what I’ve got to keep doing to win the tournament.

“I’m quite pleased with my performances. Obviously, I could have been better, but generally, I think that I have been quite good.”

Coming anywhere near matching his father’s achievements will be no simple task. Wayne found the net 253 times to become United’s all-time leading scorer, but Kai has displayed promising signs of his ability at age-group level.

During the 2021/22 season with United’s Under-12s, Kai racked up 56 goals and provided 28 assists in a single campaign. This means he was directly involved in 84 goals over the course of the year.

Earlier this month, he netted four times for United’s U16s, and his displays have also secured him multiple appearances with the U18 squad, despite being younger than the majority of his team-mates.

“He’s enjoying it,” his father Wayne told The Athletic in July 2023. “That’s the most important thing. He’s doing everything he can to try to have a career in football and not just him, my other children as well.

“They love the game and my advice – to any children – is play to enjoy. There’s that much pressure when you do get to the professional level and sometimes you forget why you’re playing the game.

“You’re playing because you love playing the game and you enjoy playing the game. As long as you’re doing everything right to give yourself the best opportunity then you never know.”

Representing Liverpool Schoolboys, Wayne once netted 72 goals in a single season in his teens – a record that stood for nearly 20 years.

At just nine years old, playing for Copplehouse boys’ club in the Walton and Kirkdale junior league, he bagged 99 goals during the 1994/95 campaign. That remarkable goalscoring run caught the eye of Everton scout Bob Pendleton, who brought him to the Merseyside club.

Following his arrival at Everton’s academy, the goals continued to come. In 1995/96, featuring for both the club’s U10 and U11 sides, Wayne racked up an astonishing 114 goals in just 29 matches before eventually breaking into the first team at 16 and later going on to sign for United.

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Wayne Rooney has been full of praise for Michael Carrick since he took over as Manchester United interim manager

Wayne Rooney insists it “makes sense” that Michael Carrick should be considered for the permanent Manchester United position. He has full confidence in his ex-team-mate and insists he’s earned the right to be in contention for the full-time role.

Since Carrick assumed control as United’s caretaker boss, there’s been a major turnaround on the pitch. Notable victories over Manchester City and Arsenal were followed by further wins against Fulham and Tottenham, before last week’s 1-1 draw at West Ham.

This unbeaten streak has seen the side climb to fourth place in the Premier League table, putting them in prime position for Champions League qualification. Rooney featured on The Overlap’s Fan Debate and suggested that United’s next manager is already under their noses.

He said: “We’ve been there and tried different managers – [Jose] Mourinho, [Louis] van Gaal, [Erik] ten Hag and [Ruben] Amorim – and for me Carrick makes sense. Not because we’ve played together and we’re friends, but because he is a real calming influence.

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“Having someone there who knows the club and cares for the club makes a big difference. Michael is managing the whole squad and managing them well.

“The players who are starting, they’re fine, you don’t have to manage them, but the other lads – we’ve seen the impact on [Matheus] Cunha, [Benjamin] Sesko, [Harry] Maguire, [Lisandro] Martinez. He’s having an impact on the whole squad and football club.

“Sometimes we’re quick to overlook what’s right there in front of you and say we’ve got this manager from Turkey or from Spain, who is going to come in and do this, when they have no interest in the football club.

“At least [with Carrick] this will give the foundations for the club to keep building, when in two or three years’ time the infrastructure will be back at the club.”

These remarks outline Rooney’s clear belief in Carrick as a head coach. This isn’t a recent development either, as the 40-year-old warned people to not take him lightly when he was appointed.

Speaking on the BBC’s Wayne Rooney Show podcast, Rooney explained: “Michael’s great fun. He is a great character, but don’t be fooled by how calm he looks. He can have fun as well, but make no mistake, he’d be going in there now with full focus.”

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Carrick has evidently been warmly welcomed in the dressing room, securing the Premier League Manager of the Month award and receiving considerable praise from his first-team squad. Maguire said: “I had no surprises when he came in and the way that he spoke in his first meeting and the way the sessions have gone.

“And I do think he’s got a great, great staff with him. He takes most sessions. He still does demos in passing drills and he still bangs it through the lines like he’s still got it.”

Speaking to TNT Sports, club captain Bruno Fernandes added: “Michael came in with the right ideas of giving the players the responsibility, but also some freedom to take the responsibility on the pitch during the decisions that are needed.”

Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer were left stunned by a decision during Newcastle’s win at Aston Villa on Saturday, with the former claiming it was one of the worst he has ever seen.

It was a chaotic FA Cup contest at Villa Park, where the home side took the lead through Tammy Abraham on 14 minutes before shooting themselves in the foot.

Goalkeeper Marco Bizot made the wild decision to sprint out of his goal and take out Jacob Murphy on the counter-attack, earning himself a straight red card just before half-time.

Newcastle made the most of the advantage, with two goals from Sandro Tonali and a third from Nick Woltemade giving them a 3-1 win and put them into the hat for the fifth round draw.

Eddie Howe’s men may have thought it wasn’t going to be their day when one decision went against them at 1-0 down, though, which the officials got badly wrong.

Kieran Trippier put in a cross from the right which Villa defender Lucas Digne handballed.

The officials spotted the infringement, but despite the Frenchman standing well inside the penalty area and never leaving it, they gave a free-kick instead of a penalty.

Newcastle actually went on to score from the free-kick, so it did not cost them, but it was a bizarre mistake, which neither Rooney nor Shearer could believe a top level referee would make.

‘I think you can be critical of officials or you can praise them, either way,’ Rooney said on the BBC. ‘But that decision is one of the worst decisions I’ve ever seen in football. At no stage was Digne out the penalty box, I think he’s three or four yards inside the penalty box!

‘The linesman is just in front of us and you can clearly see how much he is in the penalty box.

‘The referee looked like he blew and it looked like he was listening to someone in his ear, so I’m assuming the linesman has give that decision and it’s an absolute shocker.’

Shearer feels it is a sign of the times, with referees and their assistants so used to being able to rely on VAR that they are now lost without it.

There was no VAR in the FA Cup tie as it was before the fifth round and the lack of support left the officials looking foolish.

‘There’s perhaps a small excuse for the referee to not see this, and I’m being kind to him, but there is no excuse whatsoever for the assistant, who is 10-15 yards away,’ said Shearer. ‘Nick Greenhalgh, who had an absolute nightmare today. He’s 15 yards away from that, goodness me.

‘If you ever needed any evidence of the damage VAR has done to the referees, I think today is a great example of that. These guys look petrified to make a decision today because they didn’t have a comfort blanket. That’s the damage its done to the officials.

‘For me, they’re actually getting worse. I really don’t think that’s a difficult decision at all, in fact it’s easy. At this standard, that has to be given. There’s no excuse for the assistant not to tell his referee, he’s got that totally wrong.’

It was not the only error of the game as Abraham’s opener was offside and Newcastle boss Howe agrees with Shearer that officials rely too much on technology.

‘I think there’s an argument to say that, because when VAR is there, there’s always a, ‘Well, I won’t give that, but let’s check it’,’ he said.

‘And I think then your decision-making maybe isn’t as sharp as it may normally have to be, so maybe there’s a difference there.

‘I’m always torn on VAR. I said this many times because I still love the emotion, even tonight, when a goal is given and you don’t see a flag or a referee, it’s a goal, and no one’s going to take it away from you.

‘That joy that you get in that moment, I still really love and VAR takes it away. But then on the other side, I was wishing there was VAR on the first goal against us, and probably throughout that game.’

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Kai Rooney, the 16-year-old son of Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney, has reportedly been offered a new contract by the Red Devils as he continues to impress in the club’s academy

The 16-year-old son of Wayne Rooney, Kai, has been presented with a contract by Manchester United as he tries to emulate his legendary father.

Kai has spent several years in the United academy and plays as an attacker, just like Rooney Senior. After showing promise in the youth system, Kai is amongst a group of 14 exceptionally talented youngsters who have been presented with new terms by United.

According to The Sun, Kai and Jacey Carrick, the son of the Red Devils’ current head coach, Michael, have been presented with new deals alongside others. If accepted, Rooney Jr would sign a one-year scholarship which would then convert to a three-year professional contract when he reaches 17.

The report suggests said contract would see him earn approximately £50,000 per year plus an annual signing-on fee, though the Rooney family are yet to approve the deal.

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A source told the outlet: “The group is very strong and the majority of the boys including Kai and Jacey have been offered deals. It means when they finish school they can go into full-time ‘football employment’ and then when they turn 17 are guaranteed a pro status.

“They still have a long way to go to make the grade, but they can be very proud that the club thinks they have a chance of making it.”

Wayne, who holds the record for the most goals scored for the club, expressed his pride last month after watching his eldest son play for Manchester United in the FA Youth Cup against Derby County.

He said: “Kai got moved up to the under-18s squad for the Youth Cup and it was great to see him come on. It brought back memories of when I played in the Youth Cup for Everton.

“It was a proud moment and I’m delighted for him. Hopefully he continues that and he can have a good run with the team.”

Kai’s mother, Coleen, has emphasised that they have not pushed their children to follow in Wayne’s footsteps. Speaking to The Mirror in September 2024, she stated: “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.”

Wayne has expressed his satisfaction with the interest Michael Carrick and his coaching team have shown in the academy since taking over. Speaking on his BBC podcast last month, he said: “It is great to see all the coaches taking a big interest in the academy. In the next few years, some of those players might get an opportunity for the first team, so it is important they have that interest.

“On Saturday, they were all at the under-16s game as well before they travelled to London. It is great to see that coming back into the club.

“I have been quite vocal on this. It used to be the norm but it has been missing in the last few years. With my two lads in the academy, I haven’t seen that and it was a bit disappointing. The lift it gives to the players and the players’ parents, seeing the first team manager there. That is how the club should be run.”

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Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games this season, an increase of up to 100 more.