Kai Rooney, the 16-year-old son of Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney, has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2025/26 U16 season due to injury. The young forward, who made his Under-18s debut in January, suffered a season-ending setback in March, forcing him to miss United's FA Youth Cup final defeat to Manchester City.
Despite the setback, Rooney has shown a positive attitude, posting on social media: "Roll on pre-season." He has been sharing images of his recovery and gym work, indicating he is eager to return for the upcoming campaign under new permanent manager Michael Carrick.
In a boost for the youngster, he will be allowed to wear his sponsored Puma boots for United next season. Previously, he was barred from wearing them at U16 level due to club policy requiring all academy players to wear identical footwear. However, as he turned 16 before the August 31 cut-off, he now steps up to age groups where the rule does not apply.
Wayne Rooney had previously expressed support for the boot policy, stating on a podcast: "All the academy have to wear the same boots. They do it because there's people from areas where they can't afford certain boots so I think it's really good." He added that Kai could wear his Puma boots when playing for the U18s.
Kai made six appearances for the U18s last season, debuting at that level aged 15 in a 1-0 win over Everton. In an interview, he outlined his ambitions: "Playing on the biggest stage amongst the best players, winning trophies."
