In the globalised rat race that is modern football, clubs try to secure talented youngsters as early as possible: it's only a matter of time before a foetus is snapped up after showing impressive technique while kicking its mother from within the womb. At international level things are theoretically more honest and natural, but you don't need to hear Andy Townsend's Irish accent to realise how naïve a view that is.
Now countries are trying to secure young players as well: there are reports that Enzo Zidane, the son of the former France World Cup-winner Zinedine, turns 14 today and is to be called up to Spain's Under-15 side.
As this video shows, Enzo is richly talented, a whirl off the old pirouette. He has already played for the Real Madrid youth team and having been in Spain for the past eight years, may feasibly follow the route of Barcelona's Bojan Krcic, who made a debut for Spain last year. There is a precedent for family members playing for different countries, and not even father and son: Christian Vieri played for Italy while his brother Max played for Australia.
There is less precedent for great players whose sons also go on to become great players: a quick poll around the office brought up, with increasing mirth, the names of Kasper Schmeichel, Jordi Cruyff and Paul Dalglish. Though nobody would consider them great, Eidur Gudjohnsen famously came on as a substitute for his father, Arnor, when Iceland played Estonia in 1996. An argument could be made for the Mazzolas, Valentino and Sandro, and perhaps the Maldinis, Cesare and Paolo. But arguably the most famous son of a great player is known for a different type of zesty activity: Calum Best.
Enzo Zidane, named after his father's hero Enzo Francescoli, the former Uruguay midfielder, may soon change all that.
