Kai Rooney’s heartbreaking decision, Wayne’s health condition and mega net worth | Football | Sport
Wayne Rooney will be remembered as one of the finest players in English football history. Manchester United’s all-time top scorer with 253 goals across all competitions and third on the Premier League’s all-time list with 208 strikes – trailing Alan Shearer on 260 and Harry Kane on 213 – Rooney turned out 559 times for the club.
The striker secured five league titles, a Champions League trophy, the Europa League and numerous domestic cups with United, whilst also playing a vital role in England’s golden generation on the international stage.
His influence on the Premier League will be remembered forever, and he now enjoys retirement with his family. Rooney ventured into management after retiring as a player, taking charge at Derby County, DC United, Birmingham City and most recently, Plymouth Argyle.
Express Sport explores Wayne’s world, including his substantial net worth and the United ban imposed by his academy-star son Kai.
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According to Celebrity Net Worth, Rooney is estimated to possess an impressive net worth of £126million ($170m). This figure stems from his various substantial salaries as a player, where he was reportedly earning nearly £20m ($26m) per year at his peak.
The former United star also secured various endorsement deals during his career and in retirement, including with Nike, Ford, Coca-Cola and Nokia.
Wayne’s medical condition
Rooney disclosed that he is deaf in his left ear after experiencing difficulties with earpieces during a recent appearance on Match of the Day. The ex-striker was present to celebrate his former club’s resounding derby day victory over Manchester City and made the revelation while discussing the latest scores around the country.
The 40-year-old gestured to his right ear as a BBC staff member fitted the listening device. He asked: “Can I do it in this ear? I used to close the talkback. The problem is I’m deaf in my left ear. So when it’s too loud I struggle to hear what Kelly Cates [MOTD presenter] or whoever is saying.”
Kai Rooney plays for Man Utd’s youth teams (Image: Anthony Devlin/Manchester United via Getty Images)
The BBC would undoubtedly have been happy to accommodate, having hired Rooney as a regular pundit at the start of the season and giving him his own show.
Mark Chapman humorously introduced Wayne as ‘John Rooney’s brother’, who famously clinched a 1-0 FA Cup victory with non-league side Macclesfield over the reigning champions, Crystal Palace.
Heartbreaking ban enforced by Kai
Wayne Rooney has been prevented from watching his son Kai, a current academy prospect, play for Manchester United due to the overwhelming media and public attention the Premier League legend attracts. The teenager is currently playing for United’s youth teams, featuring for the U18s and securing a boot deal with Puma since joining the academy aged just 11.
However, Wayne has been prohibited from enjoying his son’s performances from the touchline as he would be constantly mobbed by supporters seeking autographs and photographs. Kai’s mother Coleen appeared on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! in 2024 to discuss the challenges her family encounters during public outings.
Wayne Rooney is now a pundit (Image: Elianton/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)
She said: “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.”
Despite the ban, Wayne continues to share his footballing wisdom with his sons during home training sessions. On his podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show, the 40-year-old shared: “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.
“So when I say to them when I was younger, I remember setting a little square to practise 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.'”.
