Like father, like son: Barcelona sign 16-year-old kid of club legend

Milan Keskin

• Updated: 25 Sep 2023 09:20 CDT
• 4 min read

Shane Kluivert has signed his first professional contract with Barcelona.

The son of Blaugrana and Netherlands legend Patrick Kluivert turned 16 on Sunday (September 24) and has been playing in Barcelona's youth academy since he was nine, after joining from Paris Saint-Germain.

While father Patrick is currently at the helm of Turkish side Adana Demirspor, brothers Justin and Ruben play at Bournemouth and FC Dordrecht respectively. Shane Kluivert, meanwhile, is working on his big breakthrough in Barcelona's famous La Masia youth academy.

The winger, the youngest Kluivert, currently plays in the Under-18s of the Catalan superpower and has also made six appearances for the Dutch U16 national side.

READ: How much will Barcelona have to pay to make Cancelo and Felix permanent transfers?

"Very proud and honoured to have signed my first professional contract with Barcelona," Shane wrote on social media. "Thank you for the trust! Visca el Barca."

"The club," writes Spanish outlet Sport, "have expressed their enthusiasm for having a young Kluivert in their development structure, recognising his talent and potential. The signing of this agreement is a testament to Barça's commitment to nurturing and cultivating young talent for the future."

Like father, like son

Kluivert reportedly signed a three-year contract with the Blaugrana, where he can follow in his father's footsteps. Patrick Kluivert played no fewer than 257 games for Barcelona between 1998 and 2004, in which he scored 122 goals and won the national title in 1999.

The former international later returned as head of youth training at the LaLiga giants before being given the reins of the national team of Curacao, his mother's country, in 2021.

READ: Barcelona-bound Vitor Roque stretchered off in tears

Shane Kluivert is not the first son of a former Dutch international who can follow in his father's footsteps. Also the sons of Jonathan de Guzman (Jaden at PSV), Robin van Persie (Shaqueel at Feyenoord), Wesley Sneijder (Jessey at FC Utrecht), Arjen Robben (Kai and Luka at FC Groningen), Marciano Vink (Skye at Ajax) and Rafael van der Vaart (Damian at Ajax) play in the youth academies of professional football clubs.

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