It looks like the next generation of Rooney is already making moves.
Kai Rooney, the 15-year-old son of Manchester United legend Wayne, has received a surprise call-up to the club’s Under-19 squad – a jump of three age groups – after lighting up the pitch at the SuperCup NI (formerly known as the Milk Cup).
The young forward was a standout for United’s Under-16s in Northern Ireland, notching both goals and assists as the Reds powered through the group stages unbeaten, only to fall 1-0 to Southampton in the final at Coleraine Showgrounds.
Now, off the back of that breakout performance, Kai’s been drafted into United’s U-19 squad for the prestigious Mladen Ramljak Tournament in Croatia – a competition that’s previously featured the likes of Luka Modrić and Eduardo Camavinga.
The teenager seems to be enjoying the moment too, sharing a snap on Instagram of his hotel setup, complete with a pool and a view, cheekily captioned: “19s tournament soon.”
United’s young guns have landed in Group A, where they’ll face academy giants Juventus, Rapid București and Dinamo Zagreb.
Of course, Kai still has a long road ahead if he’s to match his dad’s legacy – Wayne remains United’s all-time top scorer with 253 goals – but if this latest step is anything to go by, the kid’s got the pedigree… and the platform to succeed.
