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, but not Kane Ferdinand.
The 18-year-old could easily have name-dropped his famous cousins, Rio and Anton, in a bold attempt to land a trial at a top club or add more zeros to his contract demands.
However, the London-born defender, who linked up with the Republic of Ireland Under 19s this week, is determined to make his own way in the game with Southend United.
‘To be honest, I’ve never met them [Rio and Anton] or spoken to them. I’ve got a huge family, so there are a lot of cousins that I have never been in contact with,’ he admitted.
But surely he has been tempted to get in touch with Manchester United’s Rio and Sunderland’s Anton, who are only a quick text or tweet away from helping him attract the attention of Premier League scouts.
‘Not really. I’ve just been concentrating on my own game and working as hard as I can to make my own way into professional football,’ Ferdinand told Sportsmail.
‘I’ve been at the club since I’m 13, so that is just five years now. I worked my way up from the youth team, got into the reserves, then trained with the first team for a while before making my debut.
‘Luckily, I’ve been given a chance with the first team after working hard to get here, so I want to make the most of it. It’s been a real challenge to prove that I can play at this level.’
After making nine appearances for the Shrimpers, it appears that the defensive midfielder didn’t need any favours from Rio or Anton. He is doing just fine, all on his own.
In fact, Ferdinand’s impressive displays for the League Two outfit have led to manager Paul Sturrock recently stating: ‘We’re in talks with Kane about upgrading his contract’.
Ireland U19 boss Paul Doolin has also taken notice and should hand him a first cap at this level in today’s friendly away to Croatia – something that the talented youngster is excited about.
‘I qualify for Ireland through my Dad, who is Irish and comes from Dublin. I was with the U18s last year and really enjoyed that, so I’m looking forward to this game,’ he said.
‘There is a big difference playing international football, but I’m still learning the game and feel that I’m improving with every game with Southend. I’ve been lucky to get this chance and I want to make the most of it.
‘Hopefully I can keep playing well for my club, develop my game and that will keep in the manager’s mind for international call-up’s.’
Should Ferdinand keep progressing at this rate then he will soon share company with his high-profile cousins.