Wayne Rooney insisted he did not want his son Kai to earn a Manchester United scholarship because of his own legacy at Old Trafford.
The teenager, 16, first joined the Reds at 11 years of age and has since risen all the way to the club's Under-18 side. He scored twice at that level last season and even made his debut at the Theatre of Dreams in an FA Youth Cup win over Derby County.
Injury cut last season short for him, but he's expected to play a key role in Darren Fletcher's side this campaign. An in-depth look at his family's life premiered on Disney+ on Thursday, with The Real Rooneys including discussion about his progression through the youth ranks.
Wayne's wish for Kai's own legacy
In episode three of the documentary, Kai is shooting an advert with sponsor Puma and the topic of his career at United is brought up. His mum Coleen says: "This is a big year for Kai. He's waiting to find out if Manchester United are going to offer him a scholarship."
Wayne is regarded as one of the greatest players in the club's history and his 253 goals for United place him top of their goalscoring charts. The 40-year-old admitted his desire for Kai to succeed on his own merit, as he wished: "Kai wants his own legacy, and I'll be there to support him. What I don't want is him to get a scholarship or get a contract because of me.
"I want it to be because of him in his own right. It's something he's wanted for a long time, so [I'll] be proud, really proud of him to get a scholarship." Kai's dream came true in July as he was among eight United youngsters who signed a scholarship deal.
Scholarship secured and style compared
Alongside Michael Carrick's son Jacey, the pair were inducted into the Professional Development Phase group. A scholarship contract is the final step before young players can potentially sign their first professional contract, which they become eligible for after their 17th birthday.
Kai primarily plays as a right-winger and his iconic father has said his son's style of play is eerily identical to his. During the documentary, Wayne said: "Kai plays for Manchester United in the academy and he is very driven. He scores goals and he wants it. It's very similar to me, it's like watching myself with a left foot. It's mad."
The teenager's sponsorship with Puma was inked when he was 12 years old, just a year after joining United's academy. Speaking of his filming duties during the documentary, Coleen said: "Kai is desperate to make a good impression with Man United.
"He's already getting quite a lot of exciting work opportunities. Today we are filming for a Puma shoot for Kai. The Puma ads Kai is involved in today is a really exciting project. It's going to be great for him."
