The son of Werder Bremen legend Ailton has taken his first steps in the club's colours. The 18-year-old striker has begun the season with Werder's third team in the Bremenliga, making several appearances so far.
Ailton, the father, is closely monitoring his son's development. The former Werder star, who scored many goals for the club and won titles, commented on his offspring's journey. His son has a different physique, but potential, Ailton said. He added that it was simply wonderful to see his son playing for Werder.
To avoid putting pressure on his son, Ailton often attends matches in secret. He admitted to having pretended to have an appointment on previous occasions to watch unnoticed. His son is clear-headed, very motivated and enjoys football, the father stated. That's the main thing. If he makes it as a professional one day, it would be a lottery win, Ailton said.
The path to professional football is challenging for the young Ailton. Werder Bremen's third team is currently fighting against relegation in the Bremenliga, having collected just a few points from several games. The right-footed forward has played across a number of league matches, starting once, but is yet to score or provide an assist. His playing style differs from that of his burly father, as he has a slimmer build.
The story shows that promotion from the third team is possible. Kevin Behrens, who also once played for Werder III, later made the leap to the Bundesliga with Union Berlin and VfL Wolfsburg and even earned Germany caps. For Werder's current first-team squad, which sits in the middle of the Bundesliga table, the next task is an away match at league leaders Borussia Dortmund. The first team's last results read several wins, one draw and one defeat.
This story first appeared at sport.de
