Wayne and Coleen Rooney react as Man Utd ban on Kai finally expires
Wayne Rooney and Coleen Rooney made their feelings clear after a Manchester United announcement about their son
Wayne and Coleen Rooney have shared their joy after their son Kai put pen to paper on a scholarship agreement with Manchester United. The deal will bring an end to the club's ban on his sponsored football boots.
The 16-year-old, who has progressed through United's youth system since he was 11, signed his contract to mark a pivotal milestone in his nascent career, enabling him to follow in the footsteps of his iconic father at the club. A scholarship allows youngsters to continue their education while pursuing a football career, and to sign a professional deal when they turn 17.
His mother, Coleen, commented on a photo shared by the official United Instagram account showing the club's first-year scholars signing their respective agreements. She posted: "Brilliant boys," accompanied by a fire emoji, a love heart and clapping hands.
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Red Devils legend Wayne, meanwhile, uploaded a story of his son with the message: "Proud of you," alongside a love heart and a pen-signing emoji.
Rooney, given his age, is no longer eligible to feature for United's Under-16s side. Having already turned 16 before the August 31 deadline, he will now make the permanent jump up to the next age group.
In doing so, the gifted forward will also be free to wear his sponsored Puma football boots. United have a club rule whereby players in the U16s or below are banned from wearing sponsored footwear. Instead, every player must wear identical boots.
Rooney Jnr. signed the sponsorship agreement with the brand back in 2022 when he was just 12 years old. Speaking earlier this year on The Smith Brothers: Not A Podcast, Wayne explained the ban by saying: "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.
"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."
Kai appeared six times for the U18s last season, making his debut at that age group when he was 15 in a 1-0 victory against Everton last August. Unfortunately, he sustained a season-ending injury in March, ruling him out of United's FA Youth Cup final against Manchester City, which the Red Devils lost 2-1.
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