Kai Rooney signs Manchester United scholarship and lifts sponsored-boots ban at 16

Kai Rooney has signed a scholarship deal with Manchester United, marking a significant step in the teenager’s development at Old Trafford after joining the club’s academy at the age of 11.

The 16-year-old, son of former United and England captain Wayne Rooney, celebrated the signing on Instagram with four photos from the occasion, captioning them with the words “work starts now”. A scholarship arrangement allows young players to continue their education while pursuing a professional football career, with the option to sign a full professional contract at 17.

The deal carries an additional practical consequence: Rooney is no longer subject to United’s policy prohibiting Under-16 players from wearing sponsored boots. The club requires all players at that age group and below to wear identical footwear — a rule Wayne Rooney praised publicly last year. “All the academy have to wear the same boots,” he said on The Smith Brothers: Not A Podcast. “They do it because there’s people from areas where they can’t afford certain boots, so I think it’s really good.”

Kai signed a sponsorship deal with Puma in 2022 at the age of 12. Having turned 16 before the August 31 cut-off, he now permanently steps up to the Under-18s age group, where the boots restriction does not apply.

The reaction from the Rooney family was warm. Coleen Rooney commented on a post from United’s official Instagram account featuring the club’s new scholars, writing “Brilliant boys” alongside several emojis. Wayne shared a story of his son with the caption “Proud of you”.

Kai made six appearances for United’s Under-18s last season, including his debut at that level — a 1-0 win against Everton in August — at the age of 15. His campaign was cut short in March by a season-ending injury that ruled him out of the FA Youth Cup final against Manchester City, which United lost 2-1.