Kai Rooney marked his return from injury with a goal as Manchester United's Under-18s thrashed Birmingham City 6-0 in the U18 Premier League Cup on Tuesday.
The 16-year-old, son of United's all-time leading scorer Wayne Rooney, had been sidelined for over three months with a foot injury that left him on crutches in September. His comeback couldn't have gone much better.
Perfect timing for Rooney Jr.
Rooney's goal at Carrington was his second of the season, with his only previous strike coming in a 5-0 win over Middlesbrough back in August before the injury struck.
The youngster had posted a heartbreaking message on social media when the setback occurred, writing "Life can't get worse" alongside images of himself in a protective boot. Three months later, life looks considerably brighter.
His return saw him link up once again with 15-year-old sensation JJ Gabriel, who also found the net against Birmingham. Gabriel, dubbed "Kid Messi" by United fans, scored the winner in the FA Youth Cup against Peterborough at Old Trafford earlier this month — a match Rooney missed as he continued his rehabilitation.
United cruise into quarter-finals
Darren Fletcher's side were ruthless against Birmingham, with six different scorers on the day:
- Jacob Watson
- JJ Gabriel
- Kai Rooney
- Rafe McCormack
- Jay McEvoy
- James Bailey
The comprehensive victory secured United's place in the quarter-finals as group winners.
Two debuts handed
The match also saw debuts for goalkeeper Charlie Hardy, who joined from Derby County this month, and defender Harley Emsden-James, a summer arrival from Southampton.
Following in famous footsteps
Kai, who turned 16 on November 2, has been at United's academy since December 2020. His progression has been remarkable — last season he scored the winner in the Floodlit Cup North final as United came back from 3-0 down against Manchester City to win 4-3, before netting twice in the national final victory over Chelsea.
That form earned him a call-up to United's U19 squad despite being just 15, rubbing shoulders with players four years his senior.
Wayne Rooney, United's record scorer with 253 goals, has been careful not to pile pressure on his eldest son. Speaking to BBC Sport earlier this year, the former England captain said: "I just let him play. He's just a 15-year-old boy enjoying his football. He gets different attention to a lot of his teammates, but I think he handles that really well."
On Tuesday's evidence, the handling of that attention — and that protective boot — appears to be well and truly over.
