Wayne Rooney has admitted that watching his son Kai play football can be challenging, as the Manchester United legend often finds himself the centre of attention at youth matches.
The 40-year-old, who is Manchester United's all-time leading goalscorer and formerly England's record marksman, revealed he has to mentally prepare himself before attending his children's fixtures.
Rooney on being 'ambushed' at tournaments
Speaking to The Guardian, Rooney explained the difficulties of being a spectator at his sons' games. "When the kids go to football tournaments and there are going to be lots of parents there, I know I'm going to be ambushed," he said.
"So I have to be ready mentally to take pictures with people, and do it with a smile on my face when all you want to do really is watch your kid play."
When it was pointed out that others might turn down requests for photographs, he responded: "No, I do pictures because I remember when I was a kid being a fan and going for autographs."
Kai's rise at Manchester United
Kai, 16, is closest to emulating his father's achievements after securing a scholarship at United this summer. He has progressed through the club's youth system and made his Premier League 2 debut for the Under-21 squad earlier this month.
The young Rooney was among eight youngsters, including United head coach Michael Carrick's son Jacey, to sign scholarship deals at Old Trafford. He backed up his U21 debut with a goal for United's U18s and has also made his UEFA Youth League debut for the U19s this season.
Kai's request for his father to stay away
Kai's mother Coleen previously revealed that their eldest son had banned Wayne from watching his matches due to the attention he generated. During her stint as an I'm a Celebrity... contestant in 2024, Coleen explained the situation.
"Kai told Wayne to stop coming to football games, when he played grassroots [football] tournaments and stuff because he used to get swarmed and he couldn't even watch the game," Coleen said in 2024. "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. At the same time the fans help you along the way and get you where you are."
Wayne ignored the request when Kai made his Old Trafford debut in the FA Youth Cup at the beginning of the year.
Supporting Kai's own legacy
Away from the pitch, the family have recently attracted attention with the documentary series The Real Rooneys. The former United star shared his thoughts on Kai pursuing a professional path at his former club before the 16-year-old secured his scholarship.
"Kai wants his own legacy, and I'll be there to support him," Wayne shared. "What I don't want is him to get a scholarship or get a contract because of me. I want it to be because of him in his own right. It's something he's wanted for a long time, so [I'll] be proud, really proud of him to get a scholarship."
