There’s one reason why Wayne Rooney has been told he’s not allowed to watch his son play for Manchester United
Fasika Zelealem Senior Sports Reporter
06:30, 24 Oct 2025
Wayne Rooney’s eldest son, Kai, plays for the Manchester United academy(Image: Anthony Devlin/Getty Images for Disney+)
Wayne Rooney finds himself unable to attend his son Kai’s matches for Manchester United’s academy due to the overwhelming attention his celebrity status attracts. The 15-year-old is the eldest of four boys shared by Rooney and his wife Coleen, alongside younger brothers Klay, 11, Kit, eight, and Cass, six.
Kai, who plays as a striker much like his iconic father, became part of the Red Devils’ academy setup in 2016, treading the same path as Rooney Sr, who marks his 40th birthday today. Whilst the youngster still has considerable ground to cover on his route to professional football, he’s considered a promising prospect within the Old Trafford ranks.
Sadly for the former England skipper, he must observe his son’s performances from afar after the emerging talent requested his father stay away from matches due to the overwhelming media circus that follows him.
This heartbreaking situation came to light during Coleen’s stint on ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here last year. The 39-year-old claimed second place in the hit reality programme behind McFly vocalist Danny Jones, and it was whilst in the jungle that she revealed the difficult choice her son had made.
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“That’s the thing with kids I think, it’s hard to go on days out,” Coleen explained last December. “Kai told Wayne to stop coming to football games, when he played grassroots tournaments and stuff because he used to get swarmed and he couldn’t even watch the game.
“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 anyway. At the same time, the fans help you along the way and get you where you are.”
The 15-year-old told his father that he can’t attend his matches (Image: Manchester United, Manchester United via Getty Images)
Whilst he might not be present on the sidelines during Kai’s matches, he continues to play a significant part in his footballing development. Rooney has previously acknowledged that he generally leaves the coaching duties to the club’s coaching staff, but ensures he offers guidance to his sons during practice sessions at home.
During last month’s instalment of The Wayne Rooney Show, the 40-year-old explained: “I’m quite lucky where I live as I’ve got a little pitch there and when the kids say, ‘we’re coming on the pitch’, all they’re gonna do is tie the balls on the top corner,” he told Shaun Wright-Phillips, Kelly Somers and Kae Kurd.
“So when I say to them when I was younger, I remember setting a little square to practice passing into it and just playing off 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, you go out and you’re just like, ‘watch me hit the ball in the top corner’.”
Wayne Rooney detailed the footballing advice he gives his sons
Considering Kai’s position as the offspring of one of England’s most celebrated players, Rooney commended his psychological resilience in handling the additional scrutiny and expectations that accompany being his son.
During the Super Cup NI tournament in Northern Ireland, Rooney told BBC Sport: “I just let him play. I think they started the competition well, they won 3-0, he scored the penalty and got an assist.
“So I think he started OK. He just plays and that’s all he’s done during his time playing. I think it’s very unfair for anyone to expect him to go and do all kinds. He’s just playing, he’s a 15-year-old boy playing his football, enjoying it. Of course he gets different attention to a lot of his team-mates but I think he handles that really well.”
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