Kai Rooney, the 16-year-old son of Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney, is eligible to make his first-team debut for the club this season under Premier League regulations. The teenager, who turned 15 in November 2024, meets the age requirement that players must have reached 15 by the start of the 2025/26 season in August.
Rooney has already impressed at youth level, scoring four goals for the under-16s in a Premier League Cup semi-final and making his under-18s debut last year. He recently appeared as a substitute in the FA Youth Cup at Old Trafford, watched by his father and interim manager Michael Carrick.
However, fellow academy prospect JJ Gabriel, 15, is ineligible for a Premier League debut until the 2026/27 campaign. The striker, who turned 15 last October, was 14 on the August 31 deadline, barring him from senior league action. Gabriel has trained with the first team and scored 15 goals in 20 under-18s league appearances this term.
Gabriel can play in the FA Cup, where age restrictions do not apply, but United were eliminated by Brighton. Under-18s coach Darren Fletcher praised Gabriel's talent, saying: 'He's a young lad with a massive sort of hype... He loves football, he loves training, he loves playing.'
