Kai Rooney is making a name for himself at Manchester United but may veer down a different path than that of his father
Manchester United’s young talent Kai Rooney may be treading the same path as his father Wayne at club level. However, their career trajectories might diverge following a recent revelation from mum Coleen.
Rooney Jr, 16, is making strides that suggest he has the potential to carve out a career in football. He’s linked up with Darren Fletcher’s under-18 team this season and has been part of the squad that’s propelled United to an FA Youth Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace.
But whilst he may be progressing rapidly at club level, it might not be his dad’s former England side that Kai represents internationally. In fact, Coleen recently appeared on The Late, Late Show and admitted that any of her four sons could potentially opt to play for the Republic of Ireland instead.
“Obviously they’re so young yet,” she told host Patrick Kielty. “We haven’t got to that point, but I think they’d be proud to play for Ireland, yeah.
FOLLOW OUR MAN UTD FB PAGE! Latest United news and more on our dedicated Facebook page
“But I don’t know, they don’t know. Let’s let them make the decision.” Both Wayne and Coleen boast Irish roots, with the former eligible to don the famous green jersey through his grandparents.
READ MORE: Benjamin Sesko’s agent hits back and hints striker is unhappy with Man Utd roleREAD MORE: Man Utd get ‘positive news’ as announcement set to be made on £2bn new stadium
It’s a similar story for Coleen, whose father Tony McLoughlin, an ex-bricklayer, also comes from Irish lineage. Should he struggle to catch the eye of English selectors, Kai could potentially find a place in the Republic of Ireland setup.
The same could be true for any of his brothers if they decide to pursue a career in football. Wayne and Coleen are parents to three other boys: Klay, 12, Kit, 10, and Cass, eight.
However, none of them have yet sparked the same level of anticipation as their eldest brother in terms of sporting potential.
Kai first caught the attention of scouts when he netted 56 goals and provided 28 assists in a season while playing for United’s under-12s. However, he’s yet to truly make his mark within Fletcher’s squad.
Coleen has disclosed that Wayne, England’s former record goal scorer, agreed not to attend Kai’s matches for a while, simply because he gets swarmed by fans too frequently.
However, he broke that agreement for United’s recent quarter-final victory over Sunderland in the FA Youth Cup, although Kai remained on the bench.
He’ll be hoping to make a bigger impact in their upcoming semi-final against Palace on April 11. A few more standout performances might just attract the attention of certain international setups, including the Republic of Ireland.
Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
England’s 2026 World Cup kits
Various Prices
England Official Store
Buy Now on England Official Store
England and Nike have launched the new home, away and goalkeeper kits to be worn at this summer’s FIFA World Cup. You can get free delivery on all orders with the code: ENGFREEDEL
