Wayne Rooney has never given the impression of one who puts on airs and graces despite his celebrity status. And he proved his down-to-earth nature with one WhatsApp message while he was watching his son Kai in action.
Kai Rooney's Rise at Manchester United
Kai Rooney has burst onto the scene in Manchester United's youth teams this season as he looks to make his own senior breakthrough. The 16-year-old even featured for the club's under-18 side en route to their runner-up finish in this term's FA Youth Cup.
It was during his son's first match at Old Trafford that Rooney got in touch with podcast co-host Kelly Somers. But it was far from the average text one expects to receive from a member of football royalty as he admitted to a hilarious gaffe on his part.
The Hilarious WhatsApp Message
When asked which WhatsApp group she ranks as her favourite, Somers was unequivocal as she told The Telegraph: "The Wayne Rooney podcast one. A lot of it is logistics but you also don’t know what is going to come next. Wayne was at Old Trafford once to watch his son play and he put in the group that he thought he had been wearing a tracksuit, but then realised he had worn pyjamas."
It takes a mature person to wear pyjamas to a football match and not feel out of place. It takes an even more mature personality to admit as much to a workmate when not compelled to do so.
Rooney's Own Account
Rooney addressed the episode himself on a January episode of his podcast and said: "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. 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."
Rooney's Playful Side
Despite being known for his intense character on the field, the Liverpudlian's more playful side has been witnessed more and more often following his retirement in 2021. The former United star is now a regular pundit on the BBC, alongside his appearances on his new podcast for the broadcaster.
No-one would have been more mortified than Kai himself to learn his dad had rocked up in PJs to watch one of his matches. That's after Wayne's wife, Coleen, revealed their child had previously requested he no longer attend games in person.
Coleen's Revelation
During her appearance on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2024, Coleen 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."
Thankfully, the pair appear to have moved past that blockade as Rooney Sr showed up to watch a number of Kai's games this season. Even if he wasn't quite dressed for the occasion.
