Kai Rooney, the 16-year-old son of Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney, will be permitted to wear his sponsored Puma boots for the club next season. The teenager was previously barred from wearing the boots while playing for Manchester United's U16 side due to a club policy requiring all academy players to wear identical footwear.
However, Kai has now turned 16 before the August 31 cutoff, meaning he will move up to an older age group where the restriction does not apply. Wayne Rooney had previously spoken about the ban on The Smith Brothers: Not A Podcast, praising the policy for ensuring equality among players from different financial backgrounds.
Kai made his debut for the U18s at age 15 and went on to make six appearances this season. A season-ending injury in March ruled him out of United's FA Youth Cup final against Manchester City, which his side lost 2-1.
The forward, who is left-footed unlike his father, has a sponsorship deal with Puma signed at age 12. In an interview, he stated his ambition to be "playing on the biggest stage amongst the best players, winning trophies" within five years.
