Wayne Rooney reveals update on Kai after 'life couldn't get any worse' message
Wayne Rooney has explained how his oldest son, Kai, has changed positions to suit the modern game. The 16-year-old prodigy has been a part of the Manchester United academy since 2020, where he has impressed with various age groups as a striker.
However, Red Devils legend recently let it slip that Kai has moved over to the right wing, highlighting the problem the modern game faces in terms of players not wanting to play as a traditional number nine. When the topic of conversation on
"The way the game is tactically. If you look worldwide there's not many number nines. So it's not just a problem in England, it's a problem throughout the world in number nines."
When the topic of conversation turned to Kai playing as a striker, Rooney explained: "He's gone to the right. Left-footed, coming in off the right," further highlighting his point on developing as a poacher has fallen out of fashion. It comes not long after Kai claimed that his life 'couldn't get any worse' earlier this year after suffering a devastating setback in the form of an injury.
The teenage sensation took to Instagram wearing pyjamas and on crutches as he wrote the sombre message, highlighing the severity of his injury. While Kai is reported to have picked up the issue while playing for the United development team, the ins and outs of how it happened, as well as what the exact injury is, remains unknown.
It thankfully appears as though Kai may be back in action in the near future, however, with the youngster taking to social media last month to share a selection of snaps of himself in Dubai. He captioned the pictures: "Recovering," alongside an emoji of a face covered with smoke.
Meanwhile, Kai also took to the stories section of his Instagram on Thursday to share a photograph of his flashy white Puma boots, decorated with neon patterns. He also tagged the brand in the time-limited story with emojis of bubbles and a face with love hearts in the eyes.
It comes as Rooney also recently told the BBC that his son handles the pressure of becoming a professional footballer and carrying his family name on the back of his kit well. He explained: "He has great coaches at Manchester United, so I take a stand off approach. I speak to him, but for me it's all about his mentality and his mindset, to make sure he keeps enjoying it - that's the main thing for me."