In a Werder Bremen shirt, striker Ailton once became a Bundesliga icon, winning the championship and the DFB-Pokal twice with the club. Now his son is also playing for the northern club—though still in the third team.

Werder Bremen has had another Ailton in attack since this summer. In the third team of SVW, the 18-year-old Ailton Jr. is hunting for goals. His father is following his development very closely.

The Werder icon stated to Bild that his son is not a speed demon but has a different physique and potential. He emphasized that it is simply wonderful to see his son playing for Werder.

His son is clear-headed and very motivated, and he has fun playing football, which is the main thing, according to the father. It remains unclear whether he will make the jump to the professional level. Currently, Ailton Jr. plays with Werder III in the fifth-tier Bremenliga.

Werder icon Ailton watches on

The 53-year-old Brazilian noted that if his son makes it to professional football one day, it would be a lottery win. He enjoys watching the matches in person. However, he doesn't always announce his visits beforehand. He explained that the last time he claimed he had an appointment because if his son knows he is watching, it puts too much pressure on him, so he watches secretly instead.

So far, the young striker has made five appearances for the young Werder side in the Bremenliga, starting once. Ailton Jr. has not yet managed a direct goal contribution. In any case, the team under manager Andreas Ernst has not had a strong start to the new season. With just three points from seven matches, Bremen III sits in the second-to-last place.

Werder icon Ailton once made 214 competitive appearances (106 goals, 42 assists) for the Bremen club. The speed demon also played in the Bundesliga for Schalke 04 (44 matches, 20 goals, six assists), Hamburg SV (13 matches, three goals), and MSV Duisburg (eight matches, one goal).