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- Kai Rooney in action at Super Cup NI
- Michael Carrick’s son also in Man Utd youth team
- Under-16 Red Devils reached the final
Kai Rooney and Jacey Carrick helped Manchester United reach the Premier (Under-16) final of the SuperCupNI, which has been running since 1983. The United side topped their group and beat local team County Down in the semi-finals. But Southampton emerged victorious overall, beating the junior Red Devils by a single goal in the final.
Clubs from as far afield as Mexico and Japan competed alongside English, Irish and Scottish teams. With Under-19, Under-14 and Under-13 age groups, in addition to the Under-16 tournament that Kai and Jacey played in, Manchester United have traditionally had success at SuperCupNI. They most recently won the Under-14 level competition in 2022, as well as an Under-19 win in 2017 and Under-16 wins in 2014 and 2013. The club’s first notable impact was as Under-16 winners in 1991, when Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Nicky Butt featured. Wayne Rooney played for Everton several years later, meanwhile, and Michael Carrick represented West Ham in 1995.
“Great few days in Coleraine for the Super Cup NI,” Rooney captioned his Instagram post. “Well done to Kai Rooney and the Manchester United lads on a brilliant effort throughout the tournament. Congratulations to Southampton on the win. Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome.”
A few days earlier Rooney had reflected tou0026nbsp;BBC NIu0026nbsp;about his own time playing at the tournament, and the nature of his role in Kai’s fledgling career.
“It’s a long time ago since I was here but it does bring back great memories,” he said. “The Super Cup, like many other tournaments, is a fantastic place to go away as a young person. You’re away with your teammates in a hotel together and it’s great for team building.
“[Kai] 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.”
Kai will turn 16 in November and is halfway through the current phase of his academy development. At the end of this coming season, United will have to decide whether to offer him a two-year scholarship that could put the youngster on the brink of the first-team. Rooney’s second oldest son, Klay, who turned 12 in May, is also on the books at Manchester United.
