Remember the name Kai Rooney: Manchester United legend's 16-year-old son offered professional contract
Kai Rooney, pictured with his father Wayne, has been offered a professional contract by Manchester United.
Image: Andrew Yates/AFP
Manchester United will soon have a new Rooney on their books.
According to reports in the UK, Kai Rooney, the 16-year-old son of Manchester United legend Wayne has impressed everyone at the club so much that they’re willing to sign him to a huge first professional contract when he turns 17 later this year.
The new contract will see him earning around £50,000 a year with an annual signing-on fee.
The young Rooney turns out for the club’s Under-18s, and made headlines when he played his first game at Old Trafford against Derby County in the FA Youth Cup last week. The match, which they won 2-1 after extra-time, was attended by his father Wayne, as well as Manchester United’s interim manager Michael Carrick and his coaching team.
He is a promising attacking footballer, who, like his father, can play in a number of position, whether out wide on the right wing, or up front as a centre forward. Some reports have even suggested he has similar attacking instincts to his father.
The older Rooney is widely as one of the greatest players in Manchester United’s history. In 13 years at the club, he scored 253 goals in 559 appearances, which made him their all-time leading goalscorer.
During his time at Old Trafford, Rooney won five Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, and also captained the club. Renowned for his work rate, versatility and big-game impact, Rooney remains a defining figure of the modern era at Manchester United.
For Kai Rooney, the challenge now will be carving out his own identity while carrying one of the most famous surnames in football. Expectations will be inevitable, but Manchester United’s willingness to invest so heavily at such a young age suggests the club believe his talent goes far beyond his name.
IOL Sport