Science Determines Whether Footballing Talent Is Inherited

There are many people who truly believe footballing talent is inherited. Didier Drogba certainly thinks so, as he recently celebrated Chelsea's 6-0 Champions League win with his son Isaac, showing him what life could be like if he makes it through the academy ranks at Stamford Bridge, as per the Daily Mail.

Also, the long list of father-and-son duos featured in the Premier League's article entitled "Family Ties: Fathers and Sons of the Barclays Premier League" does much to support this claim, with Harry and Jamie Redknapp, Steve and Alex Bruce, and Gus and Diego Poyet mentioned.

Other notable examples from elsewhere include Johan and Jordi Cruyff and Cesare and Paolo Maldini, to name but a few.

But for every genetically gifted offspring, there are equally as many who didn't inherit their dad's footballing gene. It was reported by Chronicle Live that even at the age of 12, Paul Gascoigne's son Regan knew he had no "genetic predisposition" to play football. 

Also, despite his dad's best efforts, it seems Manchester United might not be totally convinced of Brooklyn Beckham's genetic potential. An article published in the Daily Mail in November 2013 revealed that "despite David Beckham's son training at Manchester United this week, he will not be offered a deal at the club."

Granted, the emerging winger is still young and has lots of time to develop. The kid can clearly play, otherwise he wouldn't have even been considered; to say he's completely void of any inherited talent is harsh.

But in view of an Express report from November 2013 claiming he was paraded in front of Fulham and Queens Park Rangers—and despite stories from May 2013 in the Daily Mail and Hello magazine claiming he signed for QPR—it seems the young prospect is still without a contract. This possibly alludes to the fact any professional career may be more nurture than nature.

So, based on our current understanding of genetics and sporting success, are great footballers made or are they born? Again, judging by the recent story published by the Mail Online that celebrated the skills of Lionel Messi's 20-month-old son as he played on the beach in Italy, it's the latter.

Equally, Cristiano Ronaldo revealed on Spanish radio station Cadena COPE, via the Mirror, when speaking about his son: "Now he's mad for football, and is always like 'daddy, daddy, let's play.' I can't say no to him because my dream is to see him playing. He's already asked me for boots with studs, and striking the ball he's already very good."

Even Argentina international Sergio Aguero recently took to YouTube to broadcast the footballing talents of his son, and grandson of one Diego Maradona, in the following video:

But is this just sensationalist journalism—and in Aguero's case just a proud dad—or does sports science support the idea that Thiago Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. could meet at the 2034 FIFA World Cup final?

Research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine shows this might not be as ridiculous as first thought, and Messi and Ronaldo's optimism might be supported by science.

This is because researchers concluded "that although deliberate training and other environmental factors are critical for elite performance, they cannot by themselves produce an elite athlete. Rather, individual performance thresholds are determined by our genetic make-up."

A finding from scientists at the Department of Biological Psychology at Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, who attempted to quantify the degree to which athletes inherit their talent, revealed "the heritability of athlete status was estimated at 66 percent."

But while experts suggest a child's genetics could have a profound effect on whether they make it as an athlete, what exactly will Thiago Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. be inheriting from their dads? Perhaps lucky Ronaldo Jr. could inherit his old man's athleticism.

Scientists from the Department of Sports Sciences at the University of Beira Interior, Covilha, Portugal, wanted to measure how much endurance and muscle strength is effected by genetics. They found that anaerobic power (essentially speed and power) was influenced by "30 to 90 percent" and peak oxygen uptake (endurance) was influenced by "40 to 70 percent."

If this research is true, in theory it means there could be certain kids who, despite all the best intentions, clean eating and hours of training, will never be as good as Ronaldo Jr., as he might command a strength and endurance advantage on the pitch of up to 90 percent.

Unfortunately for young Thiago Messi, there could be bad news lurking in his gene pool. That’s according to research published in the journal Economics & Human Biology, that states: "Resemblances in height between relatives suggest that 80 percent of height variation is under genetic control."

Obviously not ideal when you consider his dad was famously told he was "too small to play" football, according to the Mirror. A fact well reported in the media, this was because of "hormonal problems," and leading medical professionals believed "he would grow no taller than 4'7"."

Thankfully fate—and science—intervened, and Barcelona’s sporting director Carlos Rexach famously signed him within minutes of meeting the young prodigy, writing up a contract on a serviette. The club eventually paid for the necessary treatment that has since seen him grow to 5'6.5" and become one of the greatest players ever to grace the game.

Obviously a great story, but, as you can see, genetically it doesn't bode that well for Thiago Messi, who might find himself playing against the fruit of Romelu Lukaku's 6'3" Belgian loins.

It is worth noting there are times when this "height gene" works in the son's favour. Just ask the Leicester City and Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who stands at 6'2" thanks to his 6'3" dad Peter Schmeichel.

A legend of Old Trafford, Peter was considered "the world's best goalkeeper" in 1992 and 1993, according to Talk Football. Perhaps Kasper was genetically destined to be a talent in the net.

So, will we see Ronaldo Jr. vs. Thiago Messi at the 2034 FIFA World Cup? The answer is: maybe.

What is clear, however, is genetics will have a profound effect on athletic performance. But genetics are only good when used, as many experts define training as the realisation of genetic potential.

While Ronaldo Jr. and Thiago Messi may—or may not—be sitting on a "gold mine" of genetics, the right training must be applied to the optimal genotype to produce a champion.

To quote leading sports psychologist K. Anders Ericsson in his work published in the Journal of the Association of Psychological Science (subscription required): "In domains where expert performance is measurable, acquisition is gradual and the highest levels are only attained after 10 years of intense preparation—even for the most talented." 

The aforementioned theory is supported by Ronaldo’s renowned commitment and discipline. Former team-mate at Manchester United Quinton Fortune was quoted on Eurosport saying:

"

He was incredibly dedicated and competitive in training, he wanted to do everything better than every other player, to learn to do tricks all the time. He was always the best at step overs, but he started doing them with weights strapped to his ankles so that it would be easier in a real game. He would practice even when training finished.

"

In summary, it seems if any genetically gifted athlete is given the training, mentality, nutrition and support system to nurture their inherited gifts, then, yes, they too could forge a career as a professional player—perhaps even become a great of the game.

But while science shows it's an advantage, proud dads might need more than their special DNA to guarantee a professional contract. 

Follow @RossEdgley