Thiago Messi, C. Ronaldo Jr, Isaac Drogba…. Meet children of football stars who chose their fathers’ career

By Victor Akuma

Have you ever wondered the choice of career of world’s famous footballers’ kids? Do you think because of their fathers’ wealth, they will be thrown into the world’s best Universities probably to suit-up years after as office workers?

Well, you will have to rethink because these kids are all out to make more names for themselves than their fathers ever did and being stuck with academics all their lives might just not be an option for them.

The phrase, “I want to be like my father when I grow up?” may have become a cliche, but not for these lads who are influenced by their fathers’ exploits.

These young players in their early ages are already linked with European top-flight teams like AC Milan, AS Roma Lille among others.

Below are the players names, their clubs, ages and fathers names:

1. Timothy Weah

Club: Lille

Age: 20

Father: George Weah

If there’s one name African football fans will not forget in a hurry, it will be that of George Weah, the only African Footballer who won the world’s best player of the year title in 1995.

Well George left a legacy that is still living on and this is found in his son, Timothy otherwise called Weah Jr.

Weah Jr, born in New York, smashed in a hat-trick for United States at the Under-17s World Cup in India as Paraguay were thrashed 5-0.

He left the New York Red Bulls Academy in 2014, to join Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) youth team before signing with the first-team three years later.

As a newbie in the round leather game, he mostly played from the club’s reserves and youth sides, the 19-year-old striker made his first-team debut in March 2018, coming off the bench in a 2-0 victory over Troyes and scored his first goal for the club in the Trophee des Champions against Monaco. He also received his first senior call-up to the USMNT in the same month.

Timothy was letter loaned to Celtic during the second half of the 2018/19 season, where he scored four goals in 17 matches, but PSG wasn’t going to accept such minute feet, they had to sell him off to Ligue 1 side Lille in the summer of 2019.

Don’t forget George Weah the father, is presently, the President of Liberia. From sports to politics, definitely a good way to end a career.

2. Daniel Maldini

Club: AC Milan

Age: 18

Father: Paolo Maldini

Daniel Maldini, son to the popular Paolo Maidini made his AC Milan debut from the bench against Hellas Verona. He’s said to be the third generation in his family to have this thing for football as his grand father Cesare and Dad Paolo all played the round leather game.

Unlike his father, who stands as one of the greatest defenders ever to play the game having won seven Serie A titles and five Champions Leagues during a career spanning over 1,000 games for club and country, Daniel plays as an attacking midfielder.

Young Maldini has so far scored 32 goals in 67 appearances for Milan, at youth level.

3. Isaac Drogba

Club: Guingamp

Age: 19

Father: Didier Drogba

Didier Drogba one of Chelsea’s greatest has certainly influenced son Isaac to join the world’s most popular sports. Isaac is associated with Guingamp, he joined the French side in 2018 after leaving the Chelsea academy.

Joining the Ligue 2 side’s academy, Isaac is following in the footsteps of father, who played 50 times for Guingamp before moving on to Marseille, and then Chelsea.

4. Enzo Fernandez

Club: Almeria

Age: 25

Father: Zinedine Zidane

Zidane, another world best player during his time is certainly Favoured to have all four sons of his loins playing football and Enzo Fernandez one of the quadruple is currently trying to make a name for himself away from Real Madrid — where his career started.

Signed by Swiss club FC Lausanne-Sport from Alaves in January 2018, Fernandez joined Portuguese side Aves in the summer and scored two goals in 10 Primeira Liga appearances before joining Almeria on loan.

The other three of Zidane’s sons — Luca, Theo and Elyaz — are all on the books at Real Madrid, although Luca – a goalkeeper, is currently away on loan.

5. Justin Kluivert

Club: AS Roma

Age: 20

Father: Patrick Kluivert

Following in the footsteps of his father Patrick, Justin Kluivert came through the academy at Ajax.

Having made his first-team debut in 2017, the Dutchman played 56 times for Ajax in all competitions, scoring 13 goals.

The 20-year-old’s form earned him a place in the Netherlands squad in 2018 where he went on to earn his first cap against Portugal, and in turn, making the Kluiverts the first teenager father-son debutants in Netherlands’ history.

Patrick Kluivert the father was a former Ajax and Barcelona striker, he is widely regarded as a football icon in the Netherlands and around the world, scoring 199 club career goals, while winning titles in Spain and the Netherlands, including the Champions League with Ajax in 1995.

6. Marcus Thuram

Club: Borussia Mönchengladbach

Age: 22

Father: Lilian Thuram

Marcus son of Lilian Thuram, is currently playing in the Bundesliga with Borussia Mönchengladbach as a striker, having suffered relegation from the French top-flight last season with Guingamp despite scoring nine goals in 32 games.

The 22-year-old has made a good start to life in Germany, netting 10 times across all competitions so far and helping Mönchengladbach stay well in the Bundesliga title race.

Lilian Thuram the father however, retired as the most-capped player in the history of the France national team with 142 appearances between 1994 and 2008, winning the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championships.

There have also been some notable footballers in vogue whose sons have also chosen to play football, among them is Cristiano Jr, son to Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the most fierced strikers in history, Cristiano Jr has been affirmed deadly as the Dad in the attacking front, netting goals like it was his birthright. He plays for Juventus junior team while the Dad plays for the club’s senior team. There’s also Thiago, Lionel Messi’s son, he is perceived as Messi’s only son who has flair for football. Mbappe’s son is on the radar too, the young lad is with PSG junior team.

There’s however, a host of other footballers’ kids who are doing great in the round leather game.