Man Utd ban for Kai Rooney as Wayne breaks silence with position clear | Football | Sport

Wayne Rooney has opened up about his son Kai being banned from wearing his sponsored football boots while playing for Manchester United. Kai, 16, is carving out his own path in football, having been part of United’s youth system since the age of 11.

He faces enormous expectations given his father’s status as United’s record goal-scorer with 253 goals across 559 matches, along with five Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy during his 13-year Old Trafford career. The left-footed teenager is making his mark in the academy set-up, mirroring his father by playing as a forward. Kai, whose development has attracted considerable attention from supporters and the media alike, secured a sponsorship deal with Puma to wear their boots in 2022 when he was just 12 years old.

However, Wayne has explained that his son receives no special privileges within United’s academy setup. He revealed how Kai is not allowed to wear his Puma boots for the U16s due to the club’s policy.

Speaking on The Smith Brothers: Not A Podcast, Wayne said: “He’s obviously with Puma but when he plays for the Manchester United U16s, something which I really like is he can’t wear his Puma boots.

“All the academy have to wear the same boots. They do it because there’s people from areas where they can’t afford certain boots so I think it’s really good.

“But he’s played for the U18s a few times and he can then wear his Puma boots. He’s doing well to be fair to him.”

Kai began playing for United’s U18s this season at the age of 15, a few months before his birthday in November. He made his debut as a substitute during their 1-0 win against his father’s boyhood club, Everton, at Finch Farm back in August.

Unfortunately, an injury sidelined him in the early weeks of the season, though he has since returned to the pitch for Darren Fletcher’s team, marking his comeback with a goal.

Wayne and his wife Coleen have three other sons – Klay, Kit and Cass. Like Kai, Klay is part of United’s youth setup, while Cass is following in his father’s footsteps at Everton’s academy. Their third son, Kit, has already ‘retired’ from football.

Despite all of the challenges ahead of him, Kai remains determined to reach the top of the football world. In a recent interview with The Talent Hunter on Instagram, he made his ambitions clear.

“Playing on the biggest stage amongst the best players, winning trophies,” predicted the youngster for where he wants to be in five years’ time.