Wayne Rooney finds himself barred from watching his son Kai in action for Manchester United due to his overwhelming celebrity status. The 15-year-old is the oldest of four boys shared between Rooney and wife Coleen, alongside younger siblings Klay, 11, Kit, eight, and Cass, six.
Kai, who plays as a forward mirroring his legendary father’s position, became part of the Red Devils’ academy set-up in 2016, treading the same path as Rooney Sr, who marks his 40th birthday today. While the youngster faces a considerable journey before reaching the Premier League, he has established himself as an exceptionally promising prospect within the ranks at Old Trafford.
Regrettably for the former England skipper, he must observe his son’s performances from afar following revelations that the emerging talent instructed his father to avoid attending matches due to the overwhelming media circus that follows.
This disclosure emerged during Coleen’s stint on ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here last year.
The 39-year-old secured second place in the beloved reality programme behind McFly vocalist Danny Jones, and it was when she was in the jungle that she revealed the heartbreaking choice her son felt compelled to make.
“That’s the thing with kids I think, it’s hard to go on days out,” Coleen said.
“Kai told Wayne to stop coming to football games, when he played grassroots 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?’ 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 anyway. At the same time, the fans help you along the way and get you where you are.”
Despite not being present on the sidelines during Kai’s matches, the former England captain continues to play a pivotal role in his son’s footballing development.
Rooney has previously acknowledged that while he allows the club’s coaching staff to handle the technical instruction, he ensures he imparts crucial advice to his sons during practice sessions at home.
Speaking on last month’s edition of The Wayne Rooney Show, the 40-year-old explained: “I’m quite lucky where I live as I’ve got a little pitch there and when the kids say, ‘We’re coming on the pitch’, all they’re gonna do is tie the balls on the top corner.
“So when I say to them when I was younger, I remember setting a little square to practise passing into it and just playing off the wall. So I’m very similar, [I tell them], ‘You need to work on your speed, you need to work on your technique and control.’ Otherwise, you go out and you’re just like, ‘Watch me hit the ball in the top corner.'”