Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney celebrated his 40th birthday in Dubai with his former teammate Rio Ferdinand and a group of young footballers.
The English football icon spent the day at the Football Escapes camp, held at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, where he met and coached aspiring players. The luxury camp costs up to £13,000 for a five-day experience.
Despite the 35°C heat, Rooney appeared cheerful as confetti filled the air and he greeted excited kids, even giving a short speech. In a fun twist, Ferdinand surprised Rooney by jumping out of a giant football prop during the celebration.
Rooney is no stranger to the camp. Earlier this year, he visited with his teenage son Kai, coaching children alongside stars like Kyle Walker’s son, Reign.
On Instagram, 15-year-old Kai shared a touching post for his father, writing, “Happy birthday dad,” alongside a photo of their family meal with Coleen Rooney. The family also enjoyed a game at Topgolf in Dubai to mark the occasion.
Kai, who plays for Manchester United’s youth academy, is following in his father’s footsteps. He recently moved up to the Under-19s squad and scored his first goal for the Under-18s with a strong left-footed volley.
However, Coleen once revealed that Kai has asked Wayne not to attend his matches because of the attention he attracts from fans.
She said, “Kai told Wayne to stop coming because he gets swarmed and can’t even watch the game. It’s sad, but it can’t be helped.”
Rooney, now a BBC pundit and host of his own podcast, won’t stay long in Dubai before returning to his media duties in the UK.
