Kai Rooney could soon be making his debut on the hallowed turf of Old Trafford. Wayne Rooney’s 15-year-old son has impressed at academy level, showing his skills as a centre-forward and winger, but due to his age he has yet to have the opportunity to play at Manchester United’s home turf.
But all that could change in December when Darren Fletcher’s Under-18s face Peterborough United in the third round of the FA Youth Cup. According to the Daily Mail, the team was denied the opportunity to play at the Theater of Dreams last season due to cost-cutting measures by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos. Instead, they played at Leigh Sports Village.
But United’s youth teams have now been given permission to play at Old Trafford, potentially paving the way for Rooney’s long-awaited debut. This comes as Rooney nears the end of his recovery from an injury that has kept him off the field for most of the season.
He appeared in just two games before suffering a setback in September. He has since hinted at a good recovery and is back to training on grass, but it remains to be seen whether he will be fully fit for next month’s competition.
Unfortunately, his father Wayne may not be able to watch his debut for the Stretford End. It was recently revealed that the Manchester United and England legend is unable to attend his son’s football matches due to his fame.
Wayne’s wife Coleen revealed last year while appearing on ITV’s I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! “I think that’s the case with kids. It’s hard to be out for days on end. Kai told Wayne to stop coming to football games because when they played in grassroots tournaments and things like that, they were always surrounded by crowds and couldn’t even watch the games.
“How do you say to all these kids, ‘Come out, I’m watching my son?'” Adults, it’s different to be talked to by them, so he (Kai) just said, “Oh, Dad, you’re not even watching me play anyway, so there’s no point in coming.” That’s sad, but it can’t be helped anyway. At the same time, your fans help you along the way and get you this far. ”
Wayne said that although he wasn’t able to watch his son play in person, he still plays an important role in his son’s development by giving advice at home. The 40-year-old said when he appeared on The Wayne Rooney Show last month. “I’m very lucky where I live, there’s a little pitch there and when the kids say, ‘I’m going to the pitch,’ they just tie the ball in the top corner.”
“So, I remember telling them when I was younger, I’d just set up a little square to practice passing and play against the wall. So I’m very similar. (I tell them), ‘You need to work on your speed, you need to work on your technique and control.'” Otherwise, when you go out, you’re going to be like, ‘Look at me hitting the ball into the top corner.’ ”
Regarding his son’s development, he added: “He’s just playing. He’s a 15-year-old kid who enjoys playing soccer. Of course he gets different attention from a lot of his teammates, but I think he handles it really well.”
