'Fantastic for the club' – Kai Rooney tipped to make major impact at Man Utd – if he can follow in dad Wayne's footsteps and seal first-team breakthrough

Kai Rooney is being tipped to emulate the achievements of his record-breaking father Wayne by making a major impact at Manchester United. Former Red Devils striker Fraizer Campbell has told GOAL, during an exclusive interview, that it would be “fantastic for the club” to see another Rooney leading the line at some point in the not too distant future.

  • Yamal & Dowman prove to Rooney that anything is possible

    Rooney junior is only 15 years of age, but the hottest of prospects have been making senior breakthroughs at that stage of their respective careers. Lamine Yamal earned his big break at Barcelona while in his mid-teens, while Max Dowman has done likewise at Arsenal.

    There is no suggestion that Kai is knocking on Ruben Amorim’s door at Old Trafford just yet, but he continues to make positive progress down that path. He has been promoted through the age groups in United’s academy system, allowing him to prove his worth to club bosses.

    Big pressure is being lumped onto his young shoulders, with Wayne Rooney still United’s all-time leading scorer with 253 efforts to his name. He won Premier League and Champions League titles with the Red Devils.

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    Will Kai Rooney follow Wayne into the Man Utd team?

    Kai is eager to follow in illustrious footsteps, and has been catching the eye in a fabled academy. Many are suggesting that he is capable of matching his famous father by becoming a talismanic forward for Premier League heavyweights.

    Quizzed on whether that could happen, ex-United star Campbell – speaking in association with – told GOAL: “That would be fantastic. He’s played up for the 18s and the 23s this season, I think. He’s doing really, really well. If he’s anything like his dad, it would be fantastic for the club because Rooney was unbelievable in his playing days – still now, he played in the legends game and he’s still got the technique, that drive and hunger. It would be great for Wayne, Coleen and the family to see another Rooney pulling on the Man United shirt. It would be great for the fans as well.”

  • Hot prospect: Kai Rooney exciting those at Old Trafford

    Campbell is not the first former United player to back Kai Rooney for senior opportunities. Wes Brown has previously told GOAL of that family name earning further recognition in Manchester: “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.”

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    Wayne & Coleen helping to keep Kai grounded

    Wayne has tended to stay away from Kai’s matches, in order to avoid becoming a distraction, while mother Coleen is doing her best to ensure that a future away from professional football is also being taken into account.

    A source has told of that process: “All the boys are obsessed with football, so Coleen’s had no choice but to embrace it. She wasn’t sure how good they would be, but there’s no denying that Kai has his dad’s talents, and has the potential to make it big.

    “Kai is very good, and Coleen and Wayne have always drummed into him that he has to train hard and dedicate himself to it if he wants to make it. But Coleen is determined that he’ll stay grounded, whatever happens. She also knows she’ll have to prepare him for the disappointment if it doesn’t work out. The Rooney name will only get him so far.”

    It remains to be seen whether Kai Rooney – who has scored plenty of goals for United at youth level while helping them to trophy wins – will earn first-team opportunities. His dad will always be on hand to offer advice if it is required, with Wayne earning wonderkid status himself when making a senior breakthrough with Everton at the age of 16.

Aston Villa seriously considering Jan move for “incredible” 10-goal striker

Aston Villa are now seriously considering a January move for an “incredible” striker, who has been in fantastic form this season.

Villa looking to sign new striker this winter

It is becoming increasingly clear that Villa want to bring in a new centre-forward in the upcoming transfer window, having identified a number of targets over the past week or so, namely Brentford’s Igor Thiago, Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee and Bologna’s Santiago Castro.

Target

League goals in 2025-26

Igor Thiago

11

Joshua Zirkzee

1

Santiago Castro

4

On the face of it, pursuing a move for Thiago would appear to make the most sense, given that the Brazilian has emerged as one of the best strikers in the Premier League this season, with only Manchester City star Erling Haaland scoring more goals.

However, Aston Villa have now joined the race for another striker who has been prolific in front of goal so far this season, according to a report from Spain, which states they are seriously considering a January move for Strasbourg star Joaquin Panichelli.

Unai Emery’s side are said to be closely monitoring the striker, and hold a genuine interest, off the back of Panichelli impressing in the first half of the Ligue 1 season, with Chelsea and West Ham United also joining the race for his signature.

With the Argentinian’s contract not due to expire until 2027, the French club should be in a strong negotiating position, which complicates a deal, and finalising a move in the January transfer window could be difficult.

Panichelli has made "incredible" start in Ligue 1

Given that Ollie Watkins has just three Premier League goals to his name this season, Emery could do with bringing in a more prolific striker next month, and the Cordoba-born marksman has regularly been amongst the goals for Strasbourg, scoring ten times in all competitions.

Scout Jacek Kulig has also praised the former CD Mirandes man for the start he’s made to life at the Ligue 1 side, having only arrived at Strasbourg from the Spanish side in the summer.

The one-time Argentina international is the second-highest scorer in Ligue 1, behind only Mason Greenwood, and at 23-years-old, he is at the right age to be a long-term replacement for Watkins.

Aston Villa could launch attack to sign £44m striker who's outscoring Watkins

The Villans are looking to bring in a new centre-forward.

ByDominic Lund 4 days ago

That said, with Panichelli tied down to a long-term contract and yet to prove himself in one of Europe’s top leagues over a sustained time period, it may be worth Villa continuing to monitor him, ahead of potentially launching a move next summer.

Chris Woakes knew Oval rearguard 'could be last act in England shirt'

Retiring allrounder says he agrees with decision to overlook him for Ashes tour after dislocation

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Oct-2025

Chris Woakes said he recognised his career could be over, soon after sustaining his shoulder injury at The Oval•Getty Images

Chris Woakes has confirmed that his international retirement was accelerated by the shoulder injury he sustained at The Oval in July, which he quickly realised could mark the end of his England career.Woakes, 36, announced his decision to retire from international cricket on Monday after discussions with Rob Key, England’s managing director, in which it became clear that he would not be considered for selection in the upcoming Ashes. He intends to play on both in franchise cricket, starting at the ILT20 in December, and for his county Warwickshire.His decision means that the final act of his England career was to walk out to bat at No. 11 with his left arm in a sling, spending 16 agonising minutes at the non-striker’s end and grimacing in pain every time he ran through for a single. Woakes did not face a ball as England fell six runs short, but was widely praised for his courage and bravery, defying a shoulder dislocation.He sustained the injury while diving over the boundary in an attempt to save a run on the first day of that fifth Test, and admitted in an interview with Sky Sports that retirement soon crossed his mind. “Definitely, there was a part of me that thought then that this could be my last act in an England shirt,” Woakes said.Related

Chris Woakes announces England retirement after Ashes omission

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“When my shoulder was in the wrong place and you’re walking off at that moment, immediately you’re thinking about the game, and thinking you’re not going to play any further part. And then once things calm down a little bit, and you get the shoulder back in place, I suppose you start to then reflect and think, ‘Actually, this could be potentially be my last act in an England shirt.'”Woakes had been preparing to take a left-handed stance if required to face a ball, and conceded that he had found the prospect “slightly terrifying”. But he said that he never doubted his decision to bat: “I would’ve never been able to live with myself if I’d have said no… It just wouldn’t have sat right with me. It felt the right thing to do, and I’m sure everyone [else] would’ve done the same.”While he would have been in contention for England’s Ashes squad if fully fit, Woakes’ recovery timeframe effectively ruled him out of the start of the series and he was ultimately not considered for selection. He said that he was confident he could have “done a job” in some capacity if available, but accepted that the severity of his injury changed the picture.”I’ve got to get this right and rehab it well,” Woakes said. “Before that, the body was feeling great, and actually got better as the [India] series went on. Physically, I felt great and I felt like I potentially could have continued, but then obviously this happened and it just did change things a little bit.”I still feel like I would’ve been good enough and had the ability to go out [to Australia] – with my experience – to be able to go and do a job for the team, but I understand the route that the team are wanting to take. We haven’t won in Australia for a long time, so it feels like we’ve got to do something a little bit different and I’m fully behind that.”There was a chance I could have been fit once we go into December, but obviously the series would’ve been well and truly underway [by then]. You’re into the third or fourth Test match by that point, and I’m generally better with cricket under my belt. That call wasn’t surprising and, to be fair, I totally agree with that decision as well.”Woakes said that he had been “overwhelmed” by the response to his retirement, and that he will leave international cricket with no regrets: “To have won two World Cups, been a part of many Ashes series and one Ashes series win, I could never have dreamt of anything more.”

Aston Villa's move to sign James Garner amid new update on Everton future

Aston Villa have now registered their interest in signing Everton’s James Garner, amid a new update on the midfielder’s future on Merseyside.

Villa are very much back on track in the Premier League, signing off before the international break with a 4-0 battering of AFC Bournemouth, courtesy of goals from Emi Buendia, Amadou Onana, Ross Barkley and Donyell Malen.

However, one of Unai Emery’s more recent signings was once again absent from the match-day squad entirely, namely Harvey Elliott, who has been frozen out after seemingly failing to impress his manager since arriving on an initial loan from Liverpool in the summer.

There have been widespread reports suggesting Emery didn’t actually want to sign Elliott in the first place, and would’ve preferred to have brought in Lucas Paqueta or Marco Asensio, casting the Englishman’s future into further doubt.

Villa will only be required to sign the attacking midfielder on a permanent basis if he makes ten appearances this season, but having fallen out of favour, it is currently difficult to see a way back.

Aston Villa register interest in signing James Garner

Emery clearly has serious reservations about Elliott, but it has now been revealed that Aston Villa want to bring in another new English midfielder, having made contact by registering their interest in signing Everton’s Garner, according to a report from Football Insider.

The Villans have joined Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest in the race for the central midfielder’s signature, with the latter club making an approach of their own, meaning there could be stiff competition.

The 24-year-old’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season, so his future at Everton is now ‘up in the air’, although the Merseyside club do retain an option to trigger a one-year contract extension.

The Englishman, who scored his first Everton goal at Villa Park in the EFL Cup back in 2023, has been a key player for David Moyes’ side this season, starting all 11 Premier League matches and putting in a particularly impressive performance against Crystal Palace.

Hailed as “phenomenal” by Trevor Sinclair, the 18-time England U21 international has also displayed his versatility by slotting in at right-back and left-back this season, putting in a solid display against Villa in the 0-0 draw back in September, which earned a 7.9 SofaScore match rating, the highest of any player.

James Garner’s statistics against Aston Villa

Number completed

Tackles

4

Duels won

6 (6)

Big chances created

2

As such, Garner could be a shrewd signing for Aston Villa, who should look to capitalise on the midfielder’s contract situation and get a deal done this winter.

Aston Villa chasing another midfielder to partner Boubacar Kamara Aston Villa chiefs convinced £31m sensation would be Kamara's perfect midfield partner

The Villans are fighting with some of Europe’s heavyweights to secure his signature.

BySean Markus Clifford Nov 15, 2025

Saiba o que o Corinthians precisa para se classificar às oitavas da Sul-Americana

MatériaMais Notícias

Corinthians e Racing-URU, vice-líder e líder do grupo F da Copa Sul-Americana, respectivamente, duelam nesta terça-feira (28) pela liderança da chave e, consequentemente, pela classificação direta às oitavas de final da competição continental.

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Um ponto atrás do clube uruguaio na tabela de classificação, o Timão precisa de uma vitória em Itaquera para garantir a primeira colocação do grupo.

Em caso de empate ou derrota, a equipe comandada por António Olivera terá que disputar um mata-mata contra um dos terceiros colocados da fase de grupos da Libertadores. A definição deste possível confronto será definido por sorteio.

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Após um início conturbado de Sul-Americana, onde conquistou apenas quatro pontos em três rodadas, o Corinthians venceu os últimos dois duelos, eliminou o Argentinos Juniors da competição e colou no Racing-URU, líder do grupo.

➡️ Tudo sobre o Timão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Corinthians

Maycon e Ruan Oliveira, com lesões no joelho, estão fora da temporada. Pedro Henrique, Matheuzinho e Palacios seguem em transição física. No entanto, todos os jogadores considerados titulares da equipe comandada por António Oliveira no momento estarão à disposição.

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O Corinthians recebe o Racing-URU, na Neo Química Arena, às 19h (de Brasília), pela sexta e última partida da fase de grupos da Copa Sul-Americana.

CLASSIFICAÇÃO DO GRUPO F

1º lugar: Racing-URU – 11 pontos2º lugar: Corinthians – 10 pontos 3º lugar: Argentinos Juniors-ARG – 6 pontos (elimiado)4º lugar: Nacional-PAR – 1 ponto (eliminado)

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CorinthiansFutebol NacionalSTARPLUSSul-Americana

Tigers Rookie Troy Melton Sings Blink-182 While Exciting Biggest Start of His Career

The Tigers had lost eight consecutive games entering Thursday night's matchup with the Guardians in Cleveland. Once up by 15.5 games in the American League Central, Detroit needed a win in order to get back even with the Guardians as the regular season enters its final weekend. A.J. Hinch turned to rookie Troy Melton to deliver in the biggest spot of the year and the young righthander rewarded that confidence by throwing 3 2/3 innings and surrendering a single run.

Upon getting relieved from the game, Melton savored the moment by singing along to Blink-182's "All The Small Things" as it blared throughout the stadium.

Here's that cool moment.

Detroit and Cleveland now have a three-game race to the division crown. The Guardians hold the tiebreaker so it would have been all but over had Melton not stepped in to stop the historic skid. It's a good sign for the Tigers that Melton can be this cool in such a huge moment.

And kudos to the Fan Duel Sports Detroit broadcast for catching on to what was happening.

Kuldeep: 'You learn a lot when you don't play'

“When you don’t play, it is very easy to blame someone. To take it constructively and improve is tough”

Shashank Kishore18-Sep-20253:59

Kuldeep: Had a good time in England working on myself

For Kuldeep Yadav, rhythm is everything. It’s what aids his drift, helps develop a loop to deceive batters in the air, and gives him confidence to sequence his deliveries better.However, he says, rhythm only comes with time in the middle, something he didn’t have a lot of through the course of an entire Test series in England, because the team opted for batting depth.”In England, obviously, looking at the conditions and the combination of the team, I didn’t get a place in the XI,” he said ahead of India’s final group match against Oman in Abu Dhabi in the Asia Cup. “But it was a very good time for me to work on myself, to improve my fitness and to give more volume to bowling, because it is very important.”Instead of sitting and sulking, Kuldeep developed his own pattern to training, and analysed his game, and picked out certain markers for when his time would come.Related

Kuldeep makes it worth the wait

How Kuldeep and Axar slammed the door shut on Pakistan

“As a player, you learn a lot when you don’t play,” he said. “When the team reacts to certain situations, you can judge from the outside. You have a lot of ideas when you are in this situation, as to how to react and how you can bowl. I got a lot of ideas from there.”The communication [when he didn’t play] from Gauti [head coach Gautam Gambhir] was very clear. He was very straightforward. When you don’t play, it is very easy to blame someone. To take it constructively and improve is tough. There are two ways and players choose according to themselves.”But it is very important that you keep working hard. The game is such that you have good and bad days. If you are not playing, you have time to improve on your own and become a better player when you get the chance.”Kuldeep Yadav did not get to play in England•Getty ImagesKuldeep’s opportunity came soon after, in the form of a Duleep Trophy game in August. The scorecard will show no wickets next to his name, but for Kuldeep, those 32 overs meant so much more.”It was very important for me to bowl there,” he said. “Bowling in nets and bowling in a match are very different. Obviously, you want to play after a long time. You want to perform well. But I didn’t have that much in my mind. I focused on my strength and tried to bowl in good areas.”Now, he feels that sense of rhythm has returned fully at the Asia Cup, where he has picked up seven wickets in two games, against UAE and Pakistan, across 37 deliveries.”Actually, my rhythm is set now,” he said. “I don’t have a problem with that. I think it is important to use small angles for bowlers. As a wristspinner, I always think about my release point, my finish, whether the body is transferring [weight forward] or not.

“Between me, Varun and Axar, we are very experienced in the T20 format and understand our roles very well”

“When you don’t play, these things run in your mind. But obviously, with the help of video analysis, you get an idea of how you are bowling. I think my rhythm is good now. In the beginning, when I changed [in 2022, he worked on a straighter run-up and went through the crease faster], it took time. But now I am used to it.”The rhythm and confidence tie in nicely to his spin chemistry with Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel in India’s T20I set-up, with all three having different roles.”Everyone knows their job and my job is to take wickets in the middle overs,” Kuldeep said. “Axar, obviously, we have seen him bowling in the powerplay and he did the controlling job for us. Between me, Varun and Axar, we are very experienced in the T20 format and understand our roles very well.”Giving a lot of inputs really helped me, or anyone who is bowling in the middle. Whether it is Axar or Varun or me, whoever bowls first assesses the conditions and then suggests something. So it’s a good combination and we are very happy with that.”Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav ran through Pakistan’s middle order•AFP/Getty ImagesWhile Kuldeep’s rhythm has given him a fresh verve on the field, he also consciously tries to find a balance off the field, something he believes helps him find a release, especially when he is not playing. That balance has come through football.”If you follow other sports, you get to know how it feels when a team is performing really well,” he said. “You see the bench strength of their team. They have some unbeatable bench strength and when you focus on them, they are not getting enough time -15 minutes, 20 minutes – but they are so good, they can start in any game.”You see other teams, especially the big ones, and how they play against smaller teams – the communication, the decision-making, how quickly it all happens. You hardly have enough time to react.”Obviously, I play cricket on the field, that’s my job. After that, I enjoy football. There are so many games, you just watch and enjoy. In any sport, you admire how they play, especially in team games. The communication, the connection between players, how they lift each other – that’s the most important thing.”

Vinnie Pasquantino Jokingly Pressed Shohei Ohtani on Wild Fastest Pitch Stat

Shohei Ohtani is used to recording stats that baseball has never seen before.

One of the wildest stats the two-way superstar has, though, is about the batter he's faced when throwing his hardest heat. Ohtani threw the fastest pitch of his MLB career, a 101.7-mph four-seam fastball, to Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino in June. He threw an even harder pitch in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, which hit 102-mph, for the fastest pitch in his career.

Incredibly, Pasquantino was on the receiving end of Ohtani's 102-mph heater too, and he's starting to think Ohtani may have a problem with him. He had a hilarious response to the stat back in June, and he recently got to question the superstar as he served as an MLB players ambassador at World Series media day.

"World Baseball Classic, we faced each other. And with Kansas City this year, why do you throw so hard to me?" Pasquantino simply asked. "Why? Why do you hate me?"

Ohtani responded that Pasquantino is a really good hitter, so he has to. He's right, as the Royals slugger led his team with 32 home runs and 113 RBIs this year. That wasn't a good enough answer for Pasquantino though, as he responded, "You throw too hard, Shohei."

Check out the hilarious moment below:

Ohtani and the Dodgers are headed to the World Series after an all-time performance from the superstar where he hit three homers and threw six scoreless innings while striking out 10 batters in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series to close out the Brewers. He hit 55 homers in the regular season, behind only Cal Raleigh (60) and Kyle Schwarber (56).

On the mound, Ohtani had a 2.87 ERA in 14 starts and 47 innings pitched with 62 strikeouts in his return to pitching this year. He's won both of his postseason starts thus far, punching out 19 in 12 innings. He has five playoff homers this year, too, the most outside of Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with six.

Ohtani is doing things never seen before. Hopefully he has it in his heart to take it a bit easier on Pasquantino next season.

Internet reage à expulsão em São Paulo e Vitória: 'Acabou com o jogo'

MatériaMais Notícias

O início da partida entre São Paulo e Vitória, válida pela quinta rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, foi marcado por polêmicas envolvendo o VAR. Antes dos cinco minutos de partida, o zagueiro Wagner Leonardo se envolveu em uma disputada com Calleri na área.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Tricolor agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! São Paulo

Após revisão, o árbitro da partida decidiu por expulsar o jogador do Leão, que passou a atuar com dez atletas em campo.

Nas redes sociais, torcedores do Vitória criticaram a atitude de Wagner, que teria acertado uma cotovelada no atacante adversário. Os são-paulinos, por sua vez, comemoram a decisão da equipe de arbitragem. Confira alguns comentários a seguir.

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Campeonato BrasileiroFutebol NacionalSão PauloVitória

Apollo Tyres replaces Dream 11 as India team sponsor

The India men’s and women’s teams are currently playing international cricket without a team sponsor

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-2025

India are playing the Asia Cup without a team sponsor•Associated Press

Apollo Tyres has replaced Dream 11 as the lead sponsor of the Indian cricket teams, the BCCI announced on Tuesday.The board’s new sponsorship deal with Apollo is for two and a half years and will run until March 2028. It is worth Rs 579 crore (US$ 65.7 million approx), according to a PTI report.”The new partnership, secured after a rigorous bidding process, represents a substantial increase in sponsorship value, signifying the immense and growing commercial appeal of Indian cricket,” the BCCI said in a statement.The BCCI needed a new lead team sponsor after the Indian government passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025 in August banning real-money gaming, which was Dream 11’s core business, forcing them to withdraw from their contract.The men’s team is currently playing the Asia Cup in the UAE without a sponsor and so is the women’s team in their ongoing bilateral ODI series against Australia.Dream11 had a US$ 44 million (INR 358 crore approx.) deal with the BCCI for the period 2023 to 2026 before they pulled out. On September 2, the BCCI began the process to secure a new sponsor by releasing an invitation for expression of interest for the lead sponsorship rights and the deadline to submit a bid was September 16. The BCCI had specified that alcohol brands, betting or gambling services, cryptocurrency, online money gaming, tobacco brands, or any product or service likely to “offend public morals such as, including but not limited to, pornography” were not eligible to submit a bid to become the team sponsor.

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