Lorenz Ferdinand, the 18-year-old son of Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand, has signed his first professional contract with Brighton & Hove Albion. The goalkeeper has progressed through the Seagulls' academy system since joining their under-13 squad.
Ferdinand is among 13 youth prospects to secure professional terms with the Premier League club. His development has seen him rise quickly through the ranks, making his Premier League 2 debut earlier this year.
The teenager, who is Rio Ferdinand's eldest child from his marriage to the late Rebecca Ellison, has been with Brighton for several years.
The young goalkeeper gained valuable experience during a loan spell at non-league Havant & Waterlooville. He was brought in on a work experience arrangement after their first-choice keeper Ben Dudzinski suffered a season-ending injury.
The youngster has signed his first contract with Brighton
Academy manager Ian Buckman expressed satisfaction with the group of players securing their first professional contracts.
"We're pleased to see this cohort of players sign their first professional contracts here, with a number of them at the club from a very young age," Buckman said.
Ferdinand impressed during his temporary stint with the Southern League side, remaining unbeaten across six appearances, keeping two clean sheets.
JUST IN: Christian Horner 'will return to F1 with a vengeance' after brutal Red Bull sacking
His performances at Havant & Waterlooville followed his breakthrough into Brighton's under-21 setup.
Several of Brighton's newly-signed professionals have already trained with Fabian Hurzeler's first team, including Harry Howell and Freddie Simmonds.
READ MORE: Nick Kyrgios brands Wimbledon a 's**t show' as tennis star rages at controversy
Lorenz Ferdinand is looking to follow in the footsteps of his dad, Rio
GETTYBuckman highlighted the progression of the young talents through Brighton's system. "All of them have already had some form of experience with the under-21s, while a few have been involved with the first team," the academy manager noted.
Looking ahead, Buckman added: "We look forward to them continuing their careers with us and helping them develop over the coming years."
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
Ferdinand joins an expanding group of Premier League legends' sons pursuing professional football careers.
Wayne Rooney's 15-year-old son Kai is currently impressing in Manchester United's academy, whilst Emile Heskey's sons Jaden, 18, and Reigan, 16, have been performing strongly for Manchester City's under-21 side.
Lorenz Ferdinand joins a new batch of youngsters following in their father's footsteps
These youngsters aspire to follow the path of players like Jayden Danns, whose father Neil played for Liverpool, and who made his Reds debut last year.
The ultimate success story remains Liam Delap, son of former Stoke City player Rory, who secured a £30million transfer to Chelsea this summer following an impressive debut Premier League campaign with Ipswich Town.