Wayne and Coleen Rooney reveal eight-year-old Cass was released by Everton's academy

Wayne and Coleen Rooney have revealed that their eight-year-old son Cass was released by Everton’s youth academy, with the couple describing the moment they broke the news to him as one of the hardest parenting experiences they have faced.

Speaking on the Therapy Crouch podcast alongside former England striker Peter Crouch and his wife Abbey Clancy, Coleen recalled the phone call that confirmed Cass would not progress from Everton’s under-sevens into the under-nines setup. “The youngest one, he got let go. That was the hardest thing,” she said. “He is a massive Evertonian, so he’s got a season ticket, and he loves Everton. So, the fact that he was there was everything to him.”

Coleen described the moment she told Cass the news while he was alone in the house. “I was like, ‘Cass, I’ve had a call and you’re not going to be going into the next [year at Everton]’ and he threw his head into his hands and he just burst out crying.” She added that his resilience quickly showed through: “But an hour later? He forgot about it. He was fine. He still plays for his grassroots team and he was on the phone straight away to my mum and dad saying, ‘Everton have released me.’”

Wayne, 40, sought to put the setback in perspective, drawing on his own experience and the broader realities of football development. “I didn’t join Everton’s academy until I was nine, so actually you’ve got loads of time. Enjoy playing football and if it comes, it comes,” he told his son. He also noted that many players released by top clubs go on to build professional careers elsewhere.

Cass’s older brothers are both progressing through academy football. Kai, 16, holds a scholarship at Manchester United’s under-18s and earlier this year played at Old Trafford in the FA Youth Cup against Derby County. Klay, 13, is also on United’s books. Wayne has been clear that he does not want Kai to benefit from his surname, saying: “What I don’t want is him to get a scholarship or get a contract because of me.”

On his eldest son’s ambitions, Wayne added: “Kai wants his own legacy, and I’ll be there to support him.”