Wayne Rooney admits Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2021 Manchester United return increased pressure on his son Kai.
Wayne Rooney believes Cristiano Ronaldo’s Old Trafford comeback ramped up the scrutiny on his son Kai. Ronaldo’s own son found himself in the same youth squad as the now-16-year-old, sparking heightened interest around the training ground.
Kai has been progressing through Manchester United’s academy ranks for several years, attracting plenty of interest from admirers of Wayne’s as he attempts to follow in his father’s illustrious footsteps. Yet the youngster faces constant examination owing to the fame attached to his family name. That pressure became even more intense when Ronaldo rejoined his former Premier League club in 2021. The Portuguese legend returned to Old Trafford following triumphant periods at Real Madrid and Juventus – bringing his son, Cristiano Jr, with him.
He linked up with Wayne’s son Kai in the youth setup, which also featured current interim boss Michael Carrick’s boy, Jacey. These three were part of the same age bracket at that point, drawing significant attention to their matches.
Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show podcast in 2025, the former England captain acknowledged that Cristiano Jr’s presence in the squad created additional difficulties for his lad. Wayne said: “There’s a bit more pressure on them as well. Kai and [when Cristiano] Ronaldo came back, Ronaldo’s lads and Michael Carrick’s lad were all on the same team.
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“You go and watch and then all of a sudden there’s like 10 times the amount of people that’s normally there, all around the pitch watching, so there’s a lot more pressure because they’re coming to watch the three kids to see how they play and stuff. They’ve got to be ready.”
The Ronaldo surname isn’t the only factor placing additional pressure on Kai – he’s even asked his own father to stay away from matches because of the attention he attracts.
While appearing on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, Kai’s mother Coleen revealed the challenges he encounters simply through being the United legend’s son.
She said: “That’s the thing with kids I think, it’s hard to go on days out. Kai told Wayne to stop coming to football games, when he played grassroots tournaments and stuff because he used to get swarmed and he couldn’t even watch the game.
“How do you say to all of these kids, ‘Go away, I’m watching my son?’ Adults, it’s different you could speak to them, so he [Kai] just said, ‘Oh, dad there’s no point you coming because you don’t even watch me play anyway.'””Which is sad, but it can’t be helped anyway. At the same time, the fans help you along the way and get you where you are.”
