Kai Rooney will be free to wear his sponsored Puma boots for Manchester United next season after outgrowing the club’s age group restrictions that had previously prohibited him from using them.
The 16 year old, son of United legend Wayne Rooney, had been barred from wearing the boots for the U16s due to club policy requiring all players in that age group to wear identical footwear. However, having already turned 16 before the August 31 cutoff, Kai will move up to an older age group where no such restriction applies.
Father’s approval
Wayne Rooney, United’s all time record scorer with 253 goals, had previously praised the club’s policy despite it affecting his son.
“He’s obviously with Puma but when he plays for the Manchester United U16s, something which I really like is he can’t wear his Puma boots,” Wayne said on The Smith Brothers: Not A Podcast.
“All the academy have to wear the same boots. They do it because there’s people from areas where they can’t afford certain boots so I think it’s really good. But he’s played for the U18s a few times and he can then wear his Puma boots. He’s doing well to be fair to him.”
The teenager signed the sponsorship deal with Puma in 2022 at just 12 years old. He has already made six appearances for the U18s, having made his debut at that level at just 15 in a 1-0 victory over Everton last August. A season ending injury in March ruled him out of United’s FA Youth Cup final against Manchester City, a match his side lost 2-1.
Forging his own path
Being the son of United’s record goalscorer has meant Kai has long carried enormous pressure to follow in his father’s footsteps. He shares his dad’s instinct as a forward, though he differs as a left footed player.
Kai is the eldest of Wayne and wife Coleen’s four sons, also including Klay, Kit and Cass. In an interview with The Talent Hunter on Instagram, he laid out his ambitions when asked where he sees himself in five years.
“Playing on the biggest stage amongst the best players, winning trophies,” he said. His focus remains firmly on forging his own journey, even as comparisons to his father inevitably follow.
