Coleen Rooney has announced that her son Kai has passed all of his GCSEs. The 16-year-old Manchester United youngster marked results day alongside his mother, who shared a photo of them grinning together.
Kai, son of club legend Wayne, has been part of United's academy since returning to the club at the age of 11 and recently signed a first-year scholarship deal. The agreement enables Kai to continue his studies while going through United's academy system. He could potentially sign a professional contract once he turns 17.
Season disrupted by injury
The teenager's footballing progress was disrupted last season after picking up a season-ending injury in March, sidelining him for the FA Youth Cup final against Manchester City. He had enjoyed a breakthrough campaign before the setback, making his debut for Darren Fletcher's under-18s at the age of 15 and scoring twice while providing an assist across six U18 Premier League outings.
Kai also made his first appearance at Old Trafford last season, featuring for 21 minutes in United's FA Youth Cup fourth-round triumph over Derby County. Having watched her eldest son balance his footballing dreams with his school work, Coleen was delighted to share Kai's exam results on social media.
Proud mother's message
In an Instagram post, Coleen wrote: "GCSE results day!! Super proud @kairooney.10... Great results, especially with a busy schedule, all passed and a place in 6th form!! We love you."
It represents yet another landmark moment for Kai, who is striving to strike a balance between his education and desire to emulate his dad. Wayne did not sit his GCSEs at Kai's age, but pursued self-education later in his playing days.
The former England star previously told BBC Sport: "It's no secret that I didn't even take GCSEs but I think people assume because of that that I'm not educated, which is really wrong. I made a conscious effort when I was at Everton and Manchester United to educate myself in a lot of different things, such as black history and religion.
"The reason I did that was because I wanted to hold conversations with my team-mates who are from different backgrounds. That was something I did to help me with my team-mates and help understand how they have been brought up. That's probably something people don't understand about me."
Return to action
Meanwhile, Kai returned to the pitch last week after recovering from injury and was part of United's squad for the Otten Cup in Eindhoven. The midfielder confirmed his comeback on Instagram with the caption: "First game back from injury. PSV (A)."
United suffered a 1-0 defeat to hosts PSV in their opening fixture of the tournament, with Kai also part of a 23-man squad that featured Jacey Carrick, son of United boss Michael Carrick. Kai's comeback arrives at a crucial point in his development, as he could become a key player for the U18s this season.
The teenager previously banned his dad from attending games because of the attention Wayne would receive on the sidelines. The 40-year-old was in the stands to watch Kai make his Old Trafford debut last season but later admitted he was underdressed for the occasion.
"So I was at home, and I went into my wardrobe and I picked a tracksuit out. I thought it was one of them oversized tracksuits what the younger lads are wearing nowadays," he said on The Wayne Rooney Show. "So I tried it on and I thought it was actually quite comfortable, so I kept it on and put a big coat over it and gone to the game.
"Obviously, if it was a first-team game, I'd be dressed a bit smarter but because it was a kids game [Under-18s], I put it on and went to the game. And then it was only when I got home, Coleen asked to look at the label on it, and it was actually a pair of pyjamas. So I went to watch my son's first game at Old Trafford in a pair of pyjamas, mistakenly."
