Story byWayne Rooney Sends Son ‘Proud’ Message After Youngster’s Old Trafford DebutPeter OkerekeSat, January 24, 2026 at 5:37 PM UTC·3 min readManchester United legend Wayne Rooney has sent a ‘proud’ message to son Kai after the 16-year-old made his Old Trafford debut on Friday night. The younger Rooney came off the bench during United Under-18s’ FA Cup fourth round win over Derby with his mom and dad watching on in the stands. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDarren Fletcher’s team had to work hard to claim victory on home turf, however, as Derby took the tie to extra time having played out a 0-0 draw after 90 minutes at Old Trafford. But Man United then broke the deadlock shortly before the break in the additional period, as defender Luca Crolla mistakenly turned James Overy’s cross into the box into his own net. United quickly doubled their advantage two minutes after going in front as Chido Obi scored to seal his side’s spot in the next round of the competition. Max Nessling pulled one back in the 113th minute for Derby, but United held out to set up a last-16 meeting with Oxford. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY SportsWayne Rooney ‘proud’ of son Kai following debut gameOne of the standout moment of the night came when Kai Rooney was introduced to chants of ‘Rooney! Rooney!’ from home supporters in the stands. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThat moment likely meant a lot to his father, Wayne Rooney, as he revealed on social media about how ‘proud’ he was of Kai for making his first appearance at the Theatre of Dreams. The former United striker shared a photo of Kai as a kid walking out with him at Old Trafford during his playing days, while another photo showed Kai all grown up in action against Derby.“Then and now.