Kai Rooney nets four as Gabriel celebration link raises eyebrows at Man United

Kai Rooney delivered his most eye-catching performance yet for Manchester United’s Under-18s on Wednesday, bagging four goals in a dominant 6-0 victory over Burnley — and it was not only his finishing that caught attention.

The 16-year-old, son of United legend Wayne Rooney, operates differently to his father, preferring the right wing and cutting inside on his left foot. But the finishing instincts look familiar, and Under-18s head coach Darren Fletcher was quick to single him out after the win.

“A really good performance from everyone, but obviously Kai getting four goals, he deserves it,” Fletcher said. “He has obviously had a lot of injury problems, so to come back and do that was good.”

Beyond the goals, Rooney’s celebration for his second strike drew scrutiny. He appeared to replicate the ‘arm across the face and gun finger’ celebration associated with JJ Gabriel — a gesture Gabriel used as recently as September. Gabriel’s camp has reportedly pushed for the winger’s departure from the club over alleged broken promises, and while the intent behind Rooney’s celebration cannot be confirmed, the timing made it difficult to ignore.

Fletcher was otherwise effusive about his side’s attacking display, describing the decision-making in the final third as the standout element of the performance. “When you attack quickly, fluidly, get people into the box who make really good decisions — the key to football is decision-making,” he said. “Whether you pass, whether you cross, you shoot or use your teammate, whether you are running to make space for your teammate, all that decision-making has been fantastic.”

Rooney had already made his mark on the academy stage last season, appearing at Old Trafford in the FA Youth Cup, but this week’s haul against Burnley represents a significant step forward in his development.

Elsewhere in the academy, youngster Jariyah Shah took part in first-team training at Carrington. The Under-18s head into the weekend looking to extend their unbeaten league run to eight games when they face Blackburn on Saturday, while the Under-21s take on Monaco in the Premier League International Cup on Friday.