Latest news with #SuperCupNI
Daily Record
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Hamilton Accies may fly 16-year-old starlet over from Northern Ireland for Montrose opener amid squad struggles
A transfer embargo has hit Hamilton hard and boss John Rankin admits he is in a quadary with Accies U17s going well at the SuperCupNI Hamilton Accies boss John Rankin admits the club may have to fly 16-year-old midfielder Josh Carson back from Northern Ireland in time to face Montrose in Saturday's League One opener because their squad is so stretched. Having been hit with a transfer embargo last week, Accies are unable to strengthen their squad unless they bring in under-19 players or amateurs and that has left them with just 19 players to choose from. However, midfielder Barry Maguire and Kyle MacDonald are set to miss the clash through injury and Rankin is considering flying academy talent Carson back to Scotland for Saturday's clash at Broadwood. Carson - who made his Accies debut in last week's Premier Sports Cup defeat to Dumbarton - is currently overseas with Accies' under-17 in the SuperCupNI, and the team features in the semi-finals tonight against Southampton. Victory there could see Accies face Manchester United tomorrow in the final and that has left Rankin in a quandary. He told Lanarkshire Live Sport: "Right now, Josh is playing for the under-17s in the Super Cup over in Northern Ireland and the boys are in the semi-final tonight. "For me, I need to wait and see how the boys get on before maybe having to fly him back on Friday night or Saturday morning for the game at the weekend. "But, at the same time, these experiences may stand him in good stead later on in the season or his career. "We need him to experience as much high quality football as he can. The boys could play Man Utd in the final tomorrow if they get through, so I need to consider what is best for him. "That's the situation we find ourselves in just now when we are relying on our young players. "But our senior pros also need to stand up and shoulder the responsibility to let the young kids go and learn for their careers." Carson played alongside fellow 16-year-old debutant Aaron Eadie against Dumbarton and Rankin revealed he waited until the last possible moment to tell them the news. He added: "Over the course of my coaching career, I have never sat young players down and built it up for them. "For instance, at the weekend there we knew Josh Carson was going to play, but if we'd told him on the Friday, he probably wouldn't have slept. "We never told him until Saturday that he was going to play. "We did the same thing when Ryan One was here. Sometimes if you give kids too much time to think about it, they spend too much time worrying about the opportunity and lose focus on what is in front of them. "So the most important thing is to let them go and enjoy their football. "We are talking about Josh and Aaron Eadie as two 16-year-olds and there are not many players their age ready to go and play men's first team football. "But what this does for them is give them an idea of where they are and what they need to improve on."
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Supportive parents Wayne and Coleen Rooney watch their son Kai, 15, play for Manchester United in the Super Cup NI as he follows in his father's footballing footsteps
Wayne and Coleen Rooney were every inch the supportive parents as they watched their son Kai play for Manchester United in the 2025 Super Cup NI. The Rooneys travelled to Coleraine, Northern Ireland, to stand pitchside and watch Kai, 15, play in the youth football tournament, which kicked off on Sunday. The married couple also took their younger sons - Kit, eight, and Cass, six - to watch their older brother in action ahead of Man United's match against Co Tyrone. Ahead of the game, Wayne and Coleen were pictured looking every inch the supportive parents as they smiled for the cameras alongside their younger sons. Wayne - who also shares son Klay, 11, with Coleen - cut a casual figure in an all-black ensemble and flashed a huge smile as he stepped out to show his support for Kai. Meanwhile, Coleen looked stylish in a pink T-shirt and jeans, which she styled with a burgundy jacket. Kai took to the field when Man United played against Co Tyrone at Riada Stadium at 7.30pm on Wednesday night. Earlier in the week, Kai secured a huge achievement as he nabbed a goal in a 3-0 win over West Cork Academy. Wayne himself played in the Super Cup NI before shooting to stardom and shared some words of support for his son. When asked if he gives Kai any tips, Wayne said he simply 'lets him play and watch' and praised his son for handling the added attention because of his surname 'well'. Speaking to Super Cup NI, Wayne shared: 'He just plays, that's what he's done this whole time playing, I think it's very unfair for anyone to expect him to go and do all kinds, he's just playing as a young boy, he's 15, just playing and doing it. 'But of course he gets different attention to his teammates but he handles that really well.' Wayne played in the Super Cup - formerly the Milk Cup - himself in 2000 for Everton's Under-14 side and described the time as some of his 'greatest memories'. The Super Cup is renowned for showcasing young and upcoming footballing talents and kicked off on Sunday and will wrap up on Friday. Kai has been showing off his burgeoning football talent all season, and recently took part in a match against Glasgow Rangers in the Super Cup NI. United beat Rangers 2-0 as they continue their trajectory towards the top of Group C of the Premier section. Both goals were scored by Abdoulaye Douka Nkoto. Manchester United have been sending a youth squad to the tournament for 40 years, with the team winning 3-0 win over West Cork Academy on Monday. One of the goals was scored by Kai, who has been making waves at the tournament as one of the younger players to watch for the future. The trip to Northern Ireland comes after Coleen, who has previously revealed her down-to-earth holiday tastes include locations such as Butlin's, attended Together Again Festival with three of her sons at Bolesworth Castle in Cheshire. The family enjoyed performances from Olly Murs, Jamie Webster and Dizzee Rascal, with Coleen seen singing away in the audience. Sharing a series of photos to Instagram on Monday, she gave an insight into their festival fun, where weekend tickets cost £199. In a series of snaps where the family posed with Jamie Website, she wrote: 'Thank you for looking after us Together Again Fest… fantastic set up!! 'And thanks for the photos and lovely to finally meet you Jamie Webster…. Kids had a ball.'
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Wayne Rooney is banned from watching son, 15, play football for sad reason
Wayne Rooney has been banned from watching his son Kai play football, with the Manchester United legend's fame meaning the 15-year-old has to tell his dad to stay away Wayne Rooney's celebrity status has emerged as the reason behind the Manchester United legend being barred from watching his son Kai play football. The 15-year-old is the eldest child of Rooney and wife Coleen, who are also parents to three younger boys - Klay, 11, Kit, eight, and Cass, six. Kai became part of the Red Devils academy in 2016, treading the same path as his iconic father who dedicated 13 years to Old Trafford and holds the club's scoring record with 253 goals. Despite being recognised as a promising talent, the young striker has informed his celebrated dad that his presence isn't welcome at matches, owing to the enormous crowds he attracts. The revelation came during Coleen's appearance on ITV's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here last year. Prior to securing second place behind McFly vocalist Danny Jones, she shared details of her son's difficult choice with her fellow campmates, reports the Express. "That's the thing with kids I think, it's hard to go on days out," Coleen revealed to her jungle companions last December. "Kai told Wayne to stop coming to football games, when he played grassroots tournaments and stuff because he used to get swarmed and he couldn't even watch the game. "How do you say to all of these kids, 'Go away, I'm watching my son?' Adults, it's different you could speak to them, so he [Kai] just said, 'Oh, dad there's no point you coming because you don't even watch me play anyway.' Which is sad, but it can't be helped anyway. At the same time, the fans help you along the way and get you where you are." Despite his father's absence, Kai has continued to shine in the academy and even found the net in United's opening SuperCupNI fixture on Monday. The teenager converted from the penalty spot and mimicked the trademark celebration of Arsenal's latest acquisition, Viktor Gyokeres. Following his assist for Sam O'Brien's opener against West Cork Academy, Kai confidently dispatched the spot-kick before team-mate Abdoulaye Bassirou Nkoto sealed a third. The celebration, which sees Gyokeres mask his face by weaving his fingers together, was devised whilst the Swedish striker was on his holidays, with the forward admitting his mates pushed him to devise his own goal celebration. "Before I got it, my friends were always saying to me to find my own celebration because they were very tired of me doing all kinds of stuff when I was celebrating," he previously said. "I had some time off. We went on vacation together. During that time, we came up with it after a while. We thought it looked good, and I started doing it straightaway. It felt even better on the pitch." Despite the existence of his ban, Rooney, 39, attended the tournament in Northern Ireland alongside his wife to keep a keen eye on their son in action. The ex-Plymouth boss spoke to BBC News NI about his son's career in the academy and the role he plays in his progression. "He has great coaches at Manchester United, so I take a stand-off approach," Rooney said. "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. It's a long time since I was here, but it does bring back great memories. "The Super Cup, like many other tournaments, is a fantastic place to go away as a young person; you're away with your team-mates in a hotel together, and it's great for team building." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Belfast Telegraph
2 days ago
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Colleen and Wayne Rooney watch son Kai at SuperCupNI as Old Trafford legend delivers stark message for Man United fans
Manchester United fans who are anticipating a title challenge from Ruben Amorim's team this season are being 'naive' according to the club's all-time record goalscorer. Indeed Old Trafford great Wayne Rooney, who was in Coleraine with his wife Colleen to watch his son Kai play for the Red Devils against Rangers at the SuperCup NI, says that moving players out of the club is more important than what, if any, recruitment can be done ahead of the Premier League kick-off in just over two week's time. Rooney was a five-time title winner at the club, as well as being part of the Champions League winning team of 2008, but United are now going into a 13th season since their last League victory and Rooney isn't expecting that to change any time soon, although he is encouraged by some of the things that he has seen happen this summer. 'It has to be a long-term thing,' said the man who found the net 253 times in a United shirt. 'If you sit here expecting Manchester United to win the League next season then I think you'd be very naive. 'I think it's a process that they have to go through and try to get back challenging for the League.' Amorim has spent a combined £133m on the signings of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo as he tries to revive the fortunes of the club after finishing in a lowly 15th position last season – United's worst finish in the Premier League era. With defending Champions Liverpool spending big during the summer, local rivals Manchester City bolstering their squad for a renewed challenge and Chelsea too being aggressive in the transfer market once again the task for Amorim remains huge. 'They've had a very difficult season – a difficult few seasons actually,' said Rooney. 'I think we are starting to see signs that they are getting back to being on the right tack and I hope that's the case. 'It's a huge season ahead for the club. I think it's a huge few weeks before the start of the Premier League to see if they can get any more players in, what players they can get in and players out as well – probably more importantly. 'It's a big season, but I think we are seeing signs of them getting things in place, which I think is really important.'
Metro
3 days ago
- Sport
- Metro
Kai Rooney copies Gyokeres' celebration after Arsenal beat Man Utd to signing
The ink on Viktor Gyokeres' contract may barely be dry following the striker's arrival from Arsenal, but it's clear his iconic celebration is already catching on amongst young fans in this country. The Gunners put an end to months of speculation as they announced that they had captured Gyokeres, 27, for a fee believed to be in the region of £55m – plus £8.5m in add-ons – at the weekend. The Sweden international has signed a five-year deal at the Emirates and takes over the No.14 shirt in north London, famously worn by club legend Thierry Henry. Having joined up with Mikel Arteta's squad in Singapore on Sunday, Gyokeres could have the perfect opportunity to make an immediate impression in the next match of Arsenal's pre-tour against Tottenham on Thursday. While Arteta has refused to confirm whether or not Gyokeres will be involved, the attacker will surely be itching to get on the field against Arsenal's bitter rivals and, better still, perform his trademark goal celebration – thought to be a nod to Bane, Batman's nemesis in The Dark Knight Rises. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link so we can send you football news tailored to you. As last season wore on, Sporting fans reveled in performing the hands-over-the-face gesture whenever Gyokeres found the back of the net, which happened rather a lot, with the forward scoring 54 goals in 52 games. And while Manchester United's failed pursuit of Gyokeres was well-documented, it didn't stop Kai Rooney, son of Wayne, from copying the celebration as the Red Devils' Under-16 team ran out 3-0 winners over West Cork Academy on Monday. Rooney, 15, who bears a frightening resemblance to his old man when in full flow, provided the assist for Sam O'Brien's opening goal before doubling United's advantage from the penalty spot just before half-time. Having safely converted his effort from 12 yards, the teenager was pictured jogging towards the touchline before locking both of his hands in front of his mouth in tribute to Arsenal's new addition. Bassirou Nkoto added a brilliant third in the second half to put United out of sight in the one-sided SuperCupNI contest, where United are also grouped with Rangers and Co Tyrone. Speaking to Arsenal's official website after signing on the dotted line, Gyokeres explained how his celebration first came about. 'Before I got it, my friends were always saying to me to find my own celebration because they were very tired of me doing all kinds of stuff when I was celebrating,' the Swede said. 'I had some time off. We went on vacation together. 'During that time, we came up with it after a while. We thought it looked good and I started doing it straightaway. It felt even better on the pitch.' Back in June 2024, Gyokeres appeared to confirm the celebrations true origins with a post on his Instagram page. 'Nobody cared until I put on the mask,' the message read, a clear nod to the character Bane in Christopher Nolan's popular movie series. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Manchester United tipped to sign another hugely promising Arsenal youngster by former coach MORE: Man Utd eyeing up two strikers after giving up on £80m Chelsea transfer target MORE: Arsenal want to make Eberechi Eze their seventh summer signing – on one condition
