Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has discussed his son Kai rising through the academy at Old Trafford

Wayne Rooney has admitted that his sons' burgeoning football careers can be challenging for him on the sidelines. The 40-year-old is instantly recognisable to supporters as Manchester United’s record goalscorer and previously England’s all-time top scorer.

His eldest son Kai is closest to following in his footsteps after earning a scholarship at United this summer. The 16-year-old has risen through the club’s academy and made his Premier League 2 debut for the club’s U21 side earlier this month.

The young Rooney was one of eight prospects, alongside United manager Michael Carrick’s son Jacey, to sign scholarship forms at Old Trafford. The forward followed his U21 debut up with a goal for United’s U18s and has also made his UEFA Youth League debut for the U19s this term.

While Kai’s family are proud of his progress, his mother Coleen previously admitted that their eldest son had banned Wayne from attending his games because of the attention he attracted. The United legend has since revealed that he has to mentally prepare before attending his children’s games.

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“When the kids go to football tournaments and there are going to be lots of parents there, I know I’m going to be ambushed,” Rooney said to the Guardian. “So I have to be ready mentally to take pictures with people, and do it with a smile on my face when all you want to do really is watch your kid play.”

After it was highlighted that others may refuse to pose for photos, he added: “No, I do pictures because I remember when I was a kid being a fan and going for autographs.”

In 2024, during her time as an I’m a Celebrity… contestant, Coleen disclosed that Kai had asked his dad not to attend his games. However, Wayne chose to ignore the ban when the teenager made his Old Trafford debut in the FA Youth Cup at the start of the year.

“Kai told Wayne to stop coming to football games, when he played grassroots [football] tournaments and stuff because he used to get swarmed and he couldn’t even watch the game,” Coleen explained in 2024. “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. At the same time the fans help you along the way and get you where you are.”

Away from the pitch, the family have recently been in the spotlight as part of The Real Rooneys docuseries. The former United star shared his thoughts on Kai pursuing a career at his old club before the 16-year-old had earned his scholarship.

“Kai wants his own legacy, and I'll be there to support him,” Wayne said on The Real Rooneys. “What I don't want is him to get a scholarship or get a contract because of me.

“I want it to be because of him in his own right. It's something he's wanted for a long time, so [I'll] be proud, really proud of him to get a scholarship."