Patrick and Justin Kluivert. Lilian and Marcus Thuram. Peter and Kasper Schmeichel. Paul and Tom Ince. There has long been a tradition of star players passing on their footballing genes and watching their children thrive on the stage they once graced.
Step up José Antonio Reyes López, son of former Arsenal winger José Antonio Reyes Calderón and now a feature at first-team training for Real Madrid.
His father broke through at boyhood club Sevilla, where he made 94 appearances, before completing his big move to the Gunners in 2004 for £17 million.
Reyes spent three years at Highbury before enjoying spells at Atletico Madrid, Benfica, Sevilla and even playing 38 times for Los Blancos.
The ex-Spain international tragically died when the back-left tyre of his Mercedes exploded as he was driving on a motorway in 2019.
José Antonio Reyes López is the son of former Arsenal winger José Antonio Reyes Calderón and now a feature at first-team training for Real Madrid
His father completed his big move to Arsenal in January 2004 for £17million
Reyes put pen to paper on his first professional contract at Los Blancos last year and renewed it just under a week ago
Now his 17-year-old son is proudly carrying the family torch with a string of impressive performances for the Real youth team which have earned him a call-up to first-team training with Carlo Ancelotti, Marca reports.
The Madrid-born striker is one of the most exciting talents in the side’s famous La Fabrica academy and currently turns out for Juvenil B – the second rung on Real Madrid’s youth ladder.
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As Alvaro Arbeloa’s Juvenil A side had a fixture yesterday, Reyes was called on to rub shoulders with the likes of Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe in the first-team for the first time – a rare feat for a player at that level in the La Fabrica.
The future star joined the setup in 2019 after a fruitful stint at Leganés and has since stood out at each level in the Real academy.
He put pen to paper on his first professional contract at Los Blancos last year and renewed it just under a week ago.
Reyes said on social media: ‘I am very proud to be part of this great family and very happy to be able to continue fulfilling my dreams! Thank you Real Madrid for trusting me!’
His father died aged 35 in southern Spain when the vehicle he and his cousin Jonathan, 23, were in overturned and burst into flames. Reyes’ other cousin, Juan Manuel Calderon, survived with severe burns after trying to rescue them.
According to Spanish radio network Cadena SER the ‘conclusion the Civil Guard who studied the accident have reached’ is the former winger was driving at ‘at least at 187 kph (116 mph) when his back-left wheel of his Mercedes S 550 exploded.’
Reyes has now joined the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham in first-team training
His father broke through at boyhood club Sevilla, where he made 94 appearances
The ex-Spain international died in a car crash in 2019 (pictured: his funeral procession)
The report goes on the mention the wheel that malfunctioned and led up to the accident was ‘repaired by his cousin a few days before at a garage in Merida’ in southern Spain.
Ensuing reports later claimed Reyes was not driving at such an excessive speed but the incident was caused by a problem with his back-left wheel.
He left a wife, two daughters and his son behind.
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