Wayne Rooney's teenage son Kai has announced he is back running as he continues his recovery from injury. In January, the youngster made his first appearance at Old Trafford.

He came on as a substitute in the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup for the Reds, under U18s manager and his father's former team-mate Darren Fletcher. Rooney impressed under the ex-Reds' midfielder,contributing two goals and an assist in just 119 minutes of football. However, in March, his season wascut short by a serious injury which has kept him side-lined ever since. One month after revealing to his social media followers that he would not be featuring again, Rooney had a fresh update to share.

EXPRESS SPORT ON FB!Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page

He posted a photograph of himself wearing United tracksuit bottoms and football boots. Alongside the image on his Instagram story, Rooney wrote: "Back running."

It's a far more encouraging message than the post in which he confirmed his season was over with the Reds youngsters. He wrote: "Disappointed to be out for the rest of the season. Back stronger next pre-season."

This is not the first occasion Rooney has been afflicted by a serious injury. In September 2025, he had been selected for the U19s squad, shortly after netting a superb volley for the U18s side, despite competing with youngsters considerably older than himself.

Nevertheless, he subsequently sustained a foot injury, which he confirmed by posting a photograph of himself sporting a protective boot on his right foot. In his caption, he wrote: "Life can't get worse" alongside a crying emoji, which prompted considerable sympathy throughout the football world.

It was a tremendous shame for him, as he had attracted significant attention while performing for the Reds' youth side at the Super Cup in Northern Ireland in the summer of last year. Given his legendary father also featured in the same competition when he was a youngster in Everton's ranks, it would have been a poignant moment for the Rooney family.

In a previous interview with BBC Sport, Rooney senior has made it clear there is no pressure on his son. He said: "I just let him play. I think they started the competition well, they won 3-0, he scored the penalty and got an assist. So I think he started OK. He just plays and that's all he's done during his time playing.

"I think it's very unfair for anyone to expect him to go and do all kinds. He's just playing, he's a 15-year-old boy playing his football, enjoying it. Of course he gets different attention to a lot of his team-mates but I think he handles that really well.

"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."