Kai Rooney warned not to rely on dad Wayne's 'legendary status' to make it at Man Utd as ex-Red Devils star tells talented youngster why he'll have to 'do everything himself'

A notable family name will help to open certain doors for teen sensation Rooney, but he knows that he will have to “do everything himself” in order to follow in the illustrious footsteps of his record-setting father.

Wayne is United’s all-time leading goalscorer and was delighted to see his oldest son drafted into the academy ranks at Old Trafford. Kai has been making quite the impact there, with powerful running and unerring finishing seemingly running in his genes.

Kai has been bumped up three age groups by United into their U19 ranks for a tournament in Croatia. The hope is that he will continue to develop at his current rate and start knocking on Ruben Amorim’s first-team door at some point in the not too distant future.

Wayne Rooney’s former team-mate Wes Brown, speaking in association with CUSL, told GOAL when asked if it would be a great story to see Kai turn potential into something more tangible: “Of course. I’m pretty sure if you played for a club and your son comes through, and he’s at a stage now where he’s like YTS, going to training everyday, then at any point you could be picked by the manager and told ‘you’re training with us’ or ‘you’re in a game’. It will be a great experience.

“Kai, knowing the lad he is, he’ll just work very hard. He will have his head down. Obviously, his dad has legendary status, but it’s all about Kai. He will have to work and do everything himself, make sure he puts the graft in and keeps on learning.

“All you can hope for, even when I was a kid, is getting an opportunity. If you do, can you take it? He’s done really well to get where he is at the moment because I’m guessing at some point, it will have been difficult for him.”

Coleen Rooney, who has signed her family up to a new fly-on-the-wall documentary series with Disney+, has admitted that Kai finds it difficult to turn a deaf ear and blind eye to the criticism and attention that his dad attracts - with Wayne often being forced to miss youth team games as a result.