Wayne Rooney has sparked a Manchester United theory after changing his Facebook cover photo to a picture of himself with son Kai, just hours after the shock JJ Gabriel bombshell.
The United legend updated his Facebook cover photo on Tuesday to a picture of himself alongside wife Coleen and their eldest son Kai, who is following in his father's footsteps at Old Trafford.
Timing Catches Supporters' Attention
The timing has caught the attention of supporters, with Gabriel's shock decision to ask to leave Manchester United dominating the football headlines on the same day.
The 15-year-old wonderkid had been expected to be involved in United's Carabao Cup clash with Brighton on Wednesday, but reports emerged that Gabriel and his representatives had formally requested the cancellation of his registration. United are understood to have been surprised by the decision.
Kai's Scholarship Milestone
Rooney's cover photo, however, features Kai, who only recently reached a significant milestone of his own by signing a first-year scholarship contract with United.
Kai was among 15 academy players to sign scholarship deals with the club this summer, with the ceremony attended by his father and fellow United great Michael Carrick, whose son Jacey also signed.
That is where the social media speculation has come from.
Fan Theories Emerge
One United supporter pointed out that Kai had signed his scholarship months ago, before suggesting Rooney's decision to change his cover photo immediately after the Gabriel news may have been a deliberate nod to the fact he supports his son's journey at Old Trafford.
It comes amid reports from The Sun that Gabriel's father, Joe, played a part in wanting 15-year-old JJ to leave United and that the Manchester club had "bent over backwards" to placate him.
"Any coincidence that Wayne Rooney updated his FB cover photo yesterday? (After the JJ news)," the supporter wrote. "Silent message to some other father's maybe? What a legend."
Others quickly picked up on the same theory. One commenter wrote: "Kai signed a few months ago this was definitely a nod to the Gabriel farce and Wayne was just reminding us there's another Rooney at Old Trafford." Another simply said: "Subtle nod, love it." A further comment claimed: "I understand his intention when he posted this photo. I'm very proud of him."
Kai's Progress at United
There is, however, nothing from Rooney himself to confirm that the cover photo was intended as a message about Gabriel or his father.
What is known is that Kai has been making significant progress at United in his own right. The 16-year-old has come through the club's academy after rejoining United at the age of 11 and made his Under-18 debut last season. He subsequently signed his first-year scholarship deal this summer, taking him into the next stage of his development.
He has also already been tipped as one of the young players who could eventually follow academy talents such as Gabriel into the senior set-up.
Kai's progress has inevitably attracted attention because of his surname, with his mother Coleen previously defending him against accusations that his opportunities have simply been a consequence of being Wayne Rooney's son. But the teenager's scholarship represents a genuine step in his own football career, and his father has previously spoken publicly about his pride in watching him play for United.
The timing of Wayne's latest social media update has therefore given supporters plenty to talk about, particularly with Gabriel's future now uncertain.
