Kane Ferdinand in the Irish Mail

Most young players would not think twice about exploiting a link that would help them skip the queue to the top of the footballing ladder, so meet Kane Ferdinand.

The 18-year-old could easily have exploited his father being born in Dublin in a bold attempt to land a spot in the Republic of Ireland Under 19s in order to trial at a top club or add more zeros to his contract demands.

However, the London-born defender, who is cousins with Rio and that other one who isn't Les, is determined to make his own way in the game with Southend United.

'To be honest, I've never really been to Ireland much. I've got a huge family, so there are a lot of countries I could have played for" he admitted.

But surely he has been tempted to get in touch with Trapattoni or whoever manages Ireland u19s to help him attract the attention of Premier League scouts.

'Not really. I've just been concentrating on my own game and drinking as much Guinness as I can to make my own way into the Irish under 19s,' Ferdinand told Sportsmail.

Read the rest of the story from the Irish Daily Mail (and possibly see how it impacts on your house price).