England icon Wayne Rooney has revealed that Manchester United talent Kai Rooney must feel two ways about following in his legendary footsteps at Old Trafford.
Kai Rooney started his career in the Manchester United youth academy in 2016 before the Liverpool-born forward later moved to Manchester City and Bethesda SC.
The 16-year-old Manchester United academy product returned to Old Trafford in 2020 to become part of the youth set-up for the second time at the Red Devils.
Kai has made seven appearances for Manchester United Under-18s and Wayne Rooney’s son has netted twice and picked up one assist for his side.
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Man Utd legend Wayne Rooney asked what Kai Rooney must think about the former England striker
Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney, who is widely regarded as one of the best strikers of all time, took to Reddit and participated in an ‘AMA’ with the platform’s users.
The 40-year-old former Man Utd captain was asked if he felt that Kai Rooney saw him as an “inspiration” or if he felt the “dad vibes” from him now.
Rooney admitted that he will play into the dad role by embarrassing his son, but he did not play down the expectations that were placed on Kai’s shoulders either.
“A bit of both [an inspiration and ‘dad vibes’], I think,” he said.
“I do try and embarrass him in front of his friends when they come round to the house and just be a dad and all that and have fun with him.
“But yeah, I think he obviously is aware of my playing career and it’s a big pressure, of course, on Kai now being at Manchester United.”
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The immediate reactions to Kai Rooney’s long-awaited return from injury for Man Utd ✍️🔥
Let’s hear YOUR predictions… in what year do you think Kai Rooney will make his Man Utd first-team debut? 🔮👀
- Marcus Rashford: ⚽️
- Jack Fletcher: ❤️
- Shea Lacey: 👏👏
- Louie Bradbury: 👏🏼👏🏼
- Samuel Lusale: “Hes backk”
Wayne Rooney thinks Kai Rooney knows the ‘balance’ to strike around his perception of Man Utd’s all-time leading scorer
Kai’s breakout season in the United youth set-up was curtailed by a key injury setback, which led to him missing the tail end of the 2025-26 campaign.
Rooney claimed that his son knows when he is acting up in front of him as a dad and feels that Kai does take “inspiration” in parts from his own legendary career.
“You’d have to ask him, but I’d imagine he will take some inspiration from my time at Manchester United, but I also know for sure he definitely feels at times I embarrass him,” he added.
Rooney became Man Utd’s all-time leading scorer during his prolific playing spell at Old Trafford, as well as lifting five Premier League titles and two Champions League trophies.
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