Wayne Rooney 'banned' from watching son Kai play for Man Utd as youngster plays in same tournament as dad

Wayne Rooney is currently supporting his son at a tournament he previously played in during his time at Everton – although he was previously ‘banned’ from attending matches.

Wayne, 39, is currently without a coaching role, having parted company with Plymouth Argyle in December 2024 after an unsuccessful stint as head coach.

The former Manchester United and England striker has since appeared as a pundit on Prime Video’s Champions League coverage, as well as recently landing a role with BBC Match of the Day.

Alongside his exploits in the media, he has no doubt spent more time with his family at their Cheshire home.

Wayne and his wife Coleen have four sons - Kai, Klay, Kit, and Cass. The eldest of the quartet, Kai, is a keen footballer and plays for Man Utd’s academy.

This week, Wayne has been in attendance at the Budget Energy Super Cup NI – formerly the Milk Cup, which the 39-year-old played in during his time with Everton back in 2000.

Wayne Rooney (Credit:Getty)

Wayne was in the stands in Coleraine as the Young Red Devils faced Rangers on Tuesday (July 29). Kai put in an impressive performance as the English side won 2-0 against their Scottish opponents.

"It's a long time ago since I was here, but it does bring back great memories," Wayne told BBC NI.

"The Super Cup, like many other tournaments, is a fantastic place to go away as a young person.

"You're away with your teammates in a hotel together, and it's great for team building."

Wayne also spoke about how his son handles the pressure of the “Rooney” name well, with the 39-year-old opting for a “stand-off approach” with the 15-year-old.

Wayne, Kai and Coleen Rooney (Credit:Getty)

This comes after Coleen explained how Kai had essentially banned Wayne from attending matches when she appeared on ITV’s 'I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!' last year.

"That’s the thing with kids, I think, it’s hard to go on days out," Coleen said in December.

"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."