Kai Rooney will miss the rest of the season (Image: Getty)
Kai Rooney has announced that he will miss the remainder of the season due to injury.
The 16-year-old Rooney, the son of United legend Wayne, has been a huge success for the club’s Under-16s this season.
Last weekend, the 2009-born sensation scored two goals and provided two assists in just 45 minutes against Blackburn Rovers.
After causing some damage for the Under-16s, he played again for the Under-18s against Blackburn and made a similar impact, coming on in the 63rd minute and finding the back of the net.
And on Tuesday, Rooney helped United lift the Premier League Shield with the Under-16s with a 2-0 win over Burnley. But less than 48 hours later he confirmed this would be the last game he would play in the 2025/26 season.
Rooney posted on his Instagram Stories, alongside a photo of himself playing for United, the caption: “Sad to miss the rest of the season. I’ll be back even stronger next pre-season (red love heart emoji).”
Kai Rooney’s latest announcement hurts (Image: Getty)
This is a blow for Rooney, who has bounced back from an injury setback at the start of the season and enjoyed strong performances in the Under-16s and Under-18s. However, United are excited about his potential and feel the 15-year-old is on the same level as JJ Gabriel, who is set to break into the first team straight away after an excellent season.
Having signed his first scholarship deal at United, Rooney will be eligible to sign a professional contract next season.
United’s Under-18s reached the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup and the final of the Premier League Cup, but Rooney will be unavailable for both games.
Despite this, Rooney appears to have a big future in the game, having signed a lucrative contract with Triple S Sports, the agency where his father Wayne has a long-term contract.
And Coleen Rooney, Wayne’s wife and Kai’s mother, previously said in an interview that the teenager was used to being in the spotlight because of the family he was born into.
She told the Times: “He’s lived like that since he was young. When he was younger, when we went to games, he had a lot of people come up and say, ‘Oh, are you Wayne Rooney’s son?’
“But he has a strong heart and always has. I have no worries about how he will deal with it. It’s great that we know what’s going to happen.”
“And we can try to guide him. Obviously, it’s his life, it’s his passion. He can decide what he wants to do. But I think it’s good that we have the knowledge.”
