Kai Rooney and JJ Gabriel’s message to Man Utd owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe | Football | Sport
Kai Rooney has once again demonstrated his potential, leading Manchester United into the Premier League Cup final with club co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe amongst the spectators. The teenager has been progressing through the Red Devils’ academy since joining at 11, as he strives to emulate his legendary father’s career.
He made significant strides towards that ambition this week, entering as a substitute for the Under-18s to score during extra-time against West Ham. Rising star JJ Gabriel also found the back of the net in the additional period. Sir Jim attended the match at Carrington, having maintained a keen interest in the youth setup following his partial acquisition of the club.
His private aircraft was stationed at the training ground, with the senior squad scheduled to face Newcastle later that day. Ratcliffe wasn’t the only prominent figure to witness Rooney’s performance in recent days.
Father Wayne was present last week to observe United academy’s 6-1 thrashing of Derby County. Despite starting amongst the substitutes, the younger Rooney still managed to register an assist in the comprehensive victory.
Wayne’s presence at the match was undoubtedly unexpected, given he had previously been barred from attending. Speaking in 2024, his wife Coleen revealed: “That’s the thing with kids I think, it’s hard to go on days out. 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.”
Rooney Snr has previously shared his thoughts on the United academy, suggesting the club’s youngsters faced heightened expectations following Cristiano Ronaldo’s comeback.
He explained: “There’s a bit more pressure on them as well. Kai and [when Cristiano] Ronaldo came back, Ronaldo’s lads and Michael Carrick’s lad were all on the same team.
“You go and watch and then all of a sudden there’s like 10 times the amount of people that’s normally there, all around the pitch watching, so there’s a lot more pressure because they’re coming to watch the three kids to see how they play and stuff. They’ve got to be ready.”
