Manchester United great Wayne Rooney was in attendance as his 16-year-old son Kai made his first appearance at Old Trafford during the club’s FA Youth Cup clash with Derby County, which the under-18s won 2-1 after extra time.
Rooney later shared his pride on social media following Kai’s cameo in the fifth-round tie. The teenager was named on the bench and was introduced in the 99th minute after the contest ended goalless in normal time.
Chido Obi and JJ Gabriel both started and repeatedly tested Derby goalkeeper Cristiano Dzialuk, whose impressive saves kept United at bay until the additional period.
The deadlock was eventually broken by an own goal before Obi added a second in the 103rd minute. Derby pulled one back late on, but it was not enough to stop Darren Fletcher’s side from booking a place in the quarter-finals.
Rooney watched the match from the directors’ box alongside his wife Coleen, with United head coach Michael Carrick and senior staff also in attendance. Afterwards, the former striker posted a nostalgic image on Instagram from his own playing days at Old Trafford alongside a young Kai, captioned: “Then and now. Proud of you, Kai.”
Earlier in the day, Kai had hinted at his involvement by sharing a childhood photo of himself walking onto the Old Trafford pitch with his father, and he later posted pictures from the win with the message “FAYC W next round,” followed by a ‘soon’ emoji.
Carrick, who has stepped in after Ruben Amorim’s departure, also spoke warmly about the importance of the competition for United’s academy players, highlighting the significance of playing at Old Trafford under the lights and describing the FA Youth Cup as a vital step in their development.
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