Kai Rooney's assist in Man United U18s' 6-3 rout of Liverpool has fans calling for first-team promotion

Kai Rooney produced an eye-catching display for Manchester United’s Under-18s, contributing an assist in a 6-3 victory over Liverpool’s Under-18s that has supporters calling for the teenager to be fast-tracked toward the first-team squad.

Wearing the No. 9 shirt, Rooney led the line with relentless pressing and set up Jaume Camacho, who netted four times in the emphatic win. The performance prompted a wave of reaction on social media, with fans drawing comparisons to his father — United legend Wayne Rooney — and questioning whether the 16-year-old is already outshining the senior side.

“Kai Rooney is a pressing machine,” one supporter wrote. Another added: “Kai played a really good game, top notch. He ran like his dad — chased everything down and made plays.” A third went further: “He is always getting closer to first-team potential.”

The son of Wayne and Coleen Rooney joined United’s academy at the age of 11 and has steadily progressed through the ranks. He secured a two-year academy scholarship deal in July, which will convert into a three-year professional contract when he turns 17 on 2 November. Last season he featured predominantly for the Under-16s and Under-18s, helping the club claim the Under-16 Premier League Shield and SuperCupNI, though an injury disrupted his campaign.

This season Kai has already made his Under-19 UEFA Youth League and Under-21 debuts, while continuing to start regularly for the Under-18s. The performance against Liverpool underlined why he is regarded as one of the more promising players in United’s academy pipeline.

The enthusiasm around the academy result was sharpened by the struggles of Carrick’s first team. United have won just one of their opening seven Premier League fixtures, and were beaten 4-1 by Como in the Champions League. One fan’s comment — “Can they play tomorrow?” — captured the mood succinctly.

Carrick addressed the media ahead of Sunday’s home fixture against Bournemouth, offering a candid assessment of the club’s recent form. “Recently we haven’t had a good time, I think that’s pretty obvious,” he said. “Wednesday was a bad night and it hurt me to see us play like that. It was unacceptable. My responsibility is to get a team on the pitch that represents this football club and the supporters and they can be proud of.”