{"id":299750,"date":"2023-11-18T21:40:40","date_gmt":"2023-11-18T21:40:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/?p=299750"},"modified":"2023-11-18T21:40:40","modified_gmt":"2023-11-18T21:40:40","slug":"ten-former-premier-league-stars-with-talented-footballing-sons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/soccer\/ten-former-premier-league-stars-with-talented-footballing-sons\/","title":{"rendered":"Ten former Premier League stars with talented footballing sons"},"content":{"rendered":"
If there’s any advantage in tackling ‘Project Mbappe’ – the pursuit of raising your own wonderkid footballer – it’s having had a professional career yourself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After Emile Heskey’s son scored on his debut for Manchester City in the UEFA Youth League earlier this month, it got Mail Sport wondering: which other former stars have talented footballing offspring?\u00a0<\/p>\n
As it turns out, quite a lot.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Darren Fletcher has two footballer sons, both of whom switched from Manchester City to their dad’s old stomping ground, Manchester United, in the summer, but Djibril Cisse beats him with three.\u00a0<\/p>\n
United legend Wayne Rooney’s son already has a contract with Puma, while Everton favourite Phil Jagielka’s son is defying his father by playing for Liverpool’s academy.<\/p>\n
Here are 10 ex-Premier League stars with sons to watch out for.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Fourteen-year-old Kai Rooney has a contract with Puma and scored 56 goals in 2021\/22\u00a0<\/p>\n
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He joined father Wayne Rooney on the pitch when Manchester United won the league in 2013<\/p>\n
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Manchester United\u2019s record goal-scorer Wayne Rooney has left more than just his goals to the Red Devils.<\/p>\n
Rooney\u2019s eldest son, Kai, is coming through at the club\u2019s academy with hopes of a successful professional career in football.<\/p>\n
The 14-year-old is also a striker and impressed with 56 goals and 28 assists in the 2021\/22 season gaining the recognition of Puma, who he signed with aged just 12.<\/p>\n
The Netherlands’ all-time top scorer Robin van Persie and wife Bouchra have raised a prodigy of their own.<\/p>\n
Shaqueel van Persie is a 16-year-old forward currently playing in Feyenoord\u2019s academy, after signing his first professional contract with the club where his father is a youth coach and where the legendary striker first started out.<\/p>\n
Shaqueel, formerly of Manchester City’s academy, claimed a Feyenoord goal of the month award in 2020 after an acrobatic over-head kick and also netted for the Netherlands’ U17s.<\/p>\n
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Shaqueel van Persie, 16, signed a pro contract with Feyenoord and plays for their academy<\/p>\n
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Robin van Persie started at Feyenoord himself and is now a youth coach with the club<\/p>\n
Thirteen-time Premier League champion Ryan Giggs also has a son looking to follow in his footsteps: Sheffield United\u2019s Zach Giggs.<\/p>\n
The 17-year-old was released by Manchester United but is still a touted prospect with the Guardian highlighting Zach as one of the Premier League\u2019s best first-year scholars of 2023, citing his versatility across both wings.<\/p>\n
The Wales youth international is in safe hands at an academy that boasts success stories such as Kyle Walker and Harry Maguire.<\/p>\n
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Zach Giggs is a Wales youth international and joined Sheffield United this summer after leaving his father’s former club<\/p>\n
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Thirteen-time Premier League winner Ryan Giggs shared his successes with his young son<\/p>\n
Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler has passed on some skills to son Jacob Fowler, but seemingly not the goal-scoring knack as Fowler Jr is a midfielder.<\/p>\n
At 16, Jacob joined Oxford United on a two-year scholarship in 2022\/23.<\/p>\n
Jacob featured as a substitute in his side\u2019s FA Youth Cup first round win over Bridgewater and they will face Sutton United in the next round.<\/p>\n
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Jacob Fowler is part-way through a two-year scholarship with League One’s Oxford United\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Robbie Fowler was a great goalscorer but his son, Jacob, has grown up into a midfielder\u00a0<\/p>\n
With over 300 appearances for Manchester United and currently being the club\u2019s technical director, Darren Fletcher knows his way around Old Trafford.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, his twin boys Jack and Tyler hope to be able to grace the theatre of dreams one day as first-team members.<\/p>\n
After coming through at Manchester City, Fabrizio Romano reported that Manchester United paid a United Kingdom record fee for U16 players to recruit the twins.<\/p>\n
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Jack (left) and Tyler Fletcher (right) are Scottish Young internationals and joined Manchester United in the summer\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Darren Fletcher had a long Premier League career playing for United, West Brom, and Stoke<\/p>\n
Thirteen-year-old, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr, was born into stardom. Having played for some of the best academies in Europe, often relocating with his dad, he could have a professional career ahead of him.<\/p>\n
His resume includes the academies of Real Madrid, Juventus and Manchester United. During his time at Manchester United, he played with Rooney\u2019s son Kai and boasts a similarly impressive record as the Puma-signed athlete scoring 58 goals during 23 games for Juve.<\/p>\n
He has followed his five-time Ballon D\u2019or father to Al-Nassr too, playing for their U13 team and could be evidence of progression in Saudi talent-development if he becomes a success story.<\/p>\n
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Cristiano Ronaldo Jr has played for some of Europe’s best academies and plays for Al-Nassr’s U13s team<\/p>\n
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He scored 58 goals in 23 outings for Juventus, proving his immense talent like his father<\/p>\n
Imagine giving your all to a club over 17 years, going through the emotions of 300 games, only for your son to play for their rivals. That is the reality for Phil Jagielka and son Zac.<\/p>\n
The Everton legend\u2019s son is coming through the academy at Liverpool and has also opted to represent Wales nationally, making appearances at youth level.<\/p>\n
Also unlike his dad, the U17 player is a striker. Maybe he has a different insight of how to outwit a centre-back with inside tips from his old man.<\/p>\n
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Zac Jagielka is rising the ranks of Liverpool’s academy and is a Wales youth international player<\/p>\n
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Everton icon Phil Jagielka spent 17 years with the Toffees but never wore Liverpool red<\/p>\n
Already familiar across English football leagues, Liam Delap is making a name for himself but his name was already recognisable thanks to dad Rory.<\/p>\n
Instead of long throw-ins, it\u2019s his goals that have excelled Liam\u2019s career taking him from Derby County\u2019s academy to Manchester City and since loan spells at Stoke City, Preston North End and now Hull City.<\/p>\n
England U21 international, Liam, scored on his debut for Hull City against Norwich and has since scored four more Championship goals this season.<\/p>\n
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Liam Delap is on his third Championship loan at Hull City and has played for Man United<\/p>\n
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His father, Rory Delap, was known for his exceptionally long and menacing throws for Stoke<\/p>\n
Seventeen-year-old Cassius is currently in the Notts County youth set-up, whilst 15-year-old Prince is at Cisse\u2019s former side Liverpool and younger brother Marley Jackson has played at a youth tournament with Shrewsbury.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Due to the origin of Djibril Cisse’s ex-wife Jude Littler, the former two have appeared for Wales across youth levels – though their French-born dad represented Les Bleus.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cassius could set a good example for younger brother Prince if he is able to make his mark after signing with Notts County in July.<\/p>\n
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Djibril Cisse has three footballing sons: Cassius Clay (centre-left), Prince Kobe (middle), and Marley Jackson (right). Steven Gerrard, also pictured, is not one of Cisse’s sons\u00a0<\/p>\n
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The ex-striker knew where the net was and scored in the 2006 FA Cup final against West Ham<\/p>\n
It might be a while until Aaron Ramsey\u2019s son gets anywhere near a first team but it\u2019s worth a mention for the wholesome images that came out of Cardiff.<\/p>\n
A Welsh great, Ramsey, unveiled his return to boyhood club Cardiff City showing him singing a contract with his son Sonny in a double coup for the club.<\/p>\n
Seven-year-old Sonny signed an intent-to-sign contract, which will see Ramsey\u2019s eldest son join the academy when he turns eight.<\/p>\n
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Aaron Ramsey returned to Cardiff City on the same day that his son, Sonny, penned an intent-to-sign deal\u00a0<\/p>\n
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The ex-Arsenal midfielder is helping his boyhood club after a strong start to the season<\/p>\n
It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n