Wayne Rooney has opened up about the challenge of watching his children play football, revealing he mentally prepares for selfie requests from fans, even after his eldest son, Kai, asked him to stop attending matches because of the distraction.
The 40-year-old, Manchester United's all-time leading goalscorer, acknowledged the difficult balance between supporting his sons and making time for supporters. In 2024, while appearing on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, his wife Coleen revealed that Kai had requested his father stay away from his grassroots tournaments due to the buzz Wayne's appearances created.
Coleen's Revelation
Coleen said: "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. How do you say to all of these kids, 'Go away, I'm watching my son?'"
She added: "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's Response
Despite the request, Wayne attended Kai's Old Trafford debut in the FA Youth Cup at the beginning of the year. He recently told the Guardian: "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. 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 decline to pose for pictures, he responded: "No, I do pictures because I remember when I was a kid being a fan and going for autographs."
Kai's Progress at United
Kai, 16, is making progress at United, securing a scholarship after coming through the academy. He recently made his Premier League 2 debut for the under-21s and followed it with a goal for the under-18s. He has also featured for the under-19s in this season's UEFA Youth League, alongside teammate Jacey Carrick, son of first-team boss Michael.
Off the pitch, the family have been in the public eye as part of the docuseries The Real Rooneys. Wayne spoke about Kai's ambitions before he secured his scholarship, saying: "Kai wants his own legacy, and I'll be there to support him. 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."
