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Wayne Rooney’s lookalike son Kai showed he’s following in his dad’s footsteps as he took a break from Manchester United’s under-18s for a family holiday to Barbados.
The teenager, 16, was called-up to the club’s squad earlier this season, aged 15, but was sidelined for months after suffering an injury.
But Kai proved he is back to full-fitness as he raced Wayne’s former teammate Jonny Evans during their Caribbean trip.
Running across the sand, he wore a pair of blue swimming shorts while the former professional footballer, 37, chased him.
Kai is enjoying a New Years holiday with his parents Wayne and Coleen as well as his younger brothers Klay, 11, Kit, eight, and Cass, six, as well as Coleen’s brother and her parents Colette and Tony.
They were also joined by retired footballers and Wayne’s former teammates Jonny, Michael Carrick and Darren Gibson.
Kai’s recently scored his first goal for Manchester United on his comeback from injury after having been injured and on crutches, with his right foot in a protective boot.
In September, he shared an image of his predicament on Instagram alongside a caption of ‘Life can’t get worse’.
A few months later, he shared a picture of himself in United training gear and wearing boots, and he accompanied it with two sand-glass emojis – indicating that he is nearing a return to full fitness.
It seemed that didn’t turn out, however, and he had to wait until mid-December for an eventual return to action.
He had already earned a surprise call-up to the club’s Under-18 squad earlier this season, aged 15, before his progress was halted.
Just weeks after signing for the team he bagged his first goal for the Under-18s with a left-footed volley rifled into the top corner against Middlesbrough.
Kai joined United’s academy in 2020 at the age of 11 and has steadily worked his way through the youth ranks.
His playing style draws natural comparisons to his father, while staff at United have praised his composure, movement off the ball, and eye for goal.
After signing for United’s youth set up, Kai notched up an impressive 28 assists in his first full season with the under-12s while playing alongside the son of Cristiano Ronaldo, and has only kicked on since.
If he continues on the path he is on, Kai will be stepping onto the Old Trafford turf again one day, just like his father did between 2004 and 2017.
When asked about offering advice to his eldest son earlier this year, Wayne said he prefers a hands-off approach.
‘He just plays, that’s what he’s always done. It’s unfair to expect too much – he’s only 15. But he handles the pressure of his surname very well.’
