Wayne Rooney was permitted to watch his son Kai in action for Manchester United Under-18s again, but saw the limelight stolen by one of Kai's teammates. The 16-year-old came off the bench in United's 6-1 win over Derby County and provided an assist for Noah Ajayi's goal.
Rooney was spotted in the crowd alongside former teammate John O'Shea, while current United boss Michael Carrick also watched the game with backroom staff Steve Holland and Jonathan Woodgate. The former England captain had previously been asked to stay away from Kai's matches by his son himself.
Speaking in 2024, wife Coleen explained that Kai told Wayne to stop attending grassroots tournaments because he would get swarmed and couldn't watch the game. She said: 'Kai told Wayne to stop coming to football games... he used to get swarmed and he couldn't even watch the game.'
On the pitch, Kai contributed an assist after being introduced from the bench, but his teammates stole the headlines. Noah Ajayi scored twice, while Louie Bradbury and JJ Gabriel each bagged a brace in the emphatic win.
Wayne Rooney previously spoke about the added pressure on young players at the club, noting that when Cristiano Ronaldo returned, his son and Michael Carrick's son were on the same team as Kai, drawing larger crowds and more scrutiny.
