The first thing that you think on meeting Justin Kluivert is how much he looks like his father Patrick. No words can describe the facial similarity; you just have to see it.

The second thing you think on meeting Justin Kluivert is how young he is. He only made his first team debut in January. He only turned 18 this month.

Kluivert is so young that when he signs shirts, something he has to do more and more often now, he does so not with an illegible signature but just with @justink_, the handle of his Instagram account, followed at time of writing by 209,000 people. Welcome to the next generation of footballers.

Even amongst that peer-group, the players who will dominate the European game through the 2020s, Kluivert is a new arrival. He is five months younger than Kylian Mbappe, 10 months younger than Christian Pulisic and a whole 18 months younger than grizzled seen-it-all veteran Marcus Rashford.

But more than anything else, you know that Kluivert is young because he does not remember when his dad was one of the most feared strikers in Europe, with Ajax, Barcelona and the Dutch national team.

How could he? Justin was only born in May 1999, growing up in Amsterdam while Patrick was away, playing with Barcelona and then Newcastle United. “I was too young,” Justin shrugs, when asked about the years when Patrick was at the peak of his powers.

“I can’t remember anything, actually. I was just a little boy.”

Kluivert has burst onto the scene this season (Getty)

Ultimately Justin only has vague memories of watching the final two seasons of Patrick’s career, when he was moving around Europe, trying to overcome injuries, before retiring at just 31 years old in 2008.

“I saw him play in Lille, I know that in my head,” Kluivert says, going through his memories. “At PSV Eindhoven I saw him sometimes, I remember that.”

The rest of the world sees Patrick Kluivert as a legendary striker, but a son’s perspective is different. “Everybody sees it like Patrick is the big one, but I don’t see that,” Kluivert explains. “He’s my dad, it’s very different. Outside the door he is, you know, famous. Inside, he’s just my father.”

Kluivert Snr in action for Ajax in 1995 (Getty)

Of course that has not stopped Patrick from giving Justin advice. He took him to join Ajax in the first place, when Justin was eight, one year older than Patrick was when he joined. Since then Patrick has told him to stay at the club where he made his own name, to learn the game, rather than moving abroad for the money while still a teenager.

Patrick has also given Justin plenty advice on the game itself. “Take a lot of pleasure, of course that is number one,” Justin says, distilling what Patrick has taught him.

“Focus, don’t get distracted about other players or the public. If you have the ball, do your thing, what you always do. And be a little bit greedy. Do not always pass the ball. Go for your own actions sometimes. You have to change: sometimes you do the pass, sometimes you do your own action. That’s a good one.”

Most expensive players by age Show all 27 1 /27 Most expensive players by age Most expensive players by age 14 years old: Sheyi Ojo, MK Dons – Liverpool, 2011. £2.13m. Liverpool beat off competition from practically every European superclub to land the signing of 14-year old wonderkid Ojo, from MK Dons’ academy. Encouraging loan spells at Wigan and Wolves followed, with the winger graduating to Liverpool’s first-team squad last season. Liverpool FC via Getty Images Most expensive players by age 15 years old: Fran Merida, Barcelona – Arsenal, 2005. £2.72m. Frightened by the number of prodigiously talented young players being signed by Barcelona, Merida’s parents encouraged a move to Arsenal. But Merida struggled to acclimatise himself in England, making just six league appearances before returning home. Recently signed from second-tier Huesca by La Liga outfit Osasuna. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 16 years old: Theo Walcott, Southampton – Arsenal, 2006. £8.93m. A precocious talent: Nike agreed to sponsor Walcott when he was just 14-years old. Arsenal splashed the cash after an impressive debut season with Southampton in the Championship, and they have been rewarded with twelve seasons worth of hard-work and underwhelming finishing. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 17 years old: Alexandre Pato, Internacional – AC Milan, 2007. £8.93m. Pato began life at the San Siro encouragingly, scoring 18 goals in his debut season and winning both the Golden Boy and Serie A Young Footballer of the Year awards. But from then on his form fluctuated, and he acquired an unwanted playboy reputation after well-publicized trysts with Barbara Berlusconi, a director at the club and daughter of former Italian president Silvio. Now starring for Tianjin Quanjian. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 18 years old: Luke Shaw, Southampton – Man Utd, 2014. £31.88m. Shaw became the most expensive teenager in football when he left Southampton for Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United. His time at Old Trafford didn’t get off to a great start: the Dutchman promptly accused him of not being fit enough. Injury has dogged his time at the club, and recent reports suggest he could soon be moved on. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 19 years old: Anthony Martial, Monaco – Man Utd, 2015. £42.5m. Another one of Louis van Gaal’s excessively expensive teenage signings. Has generally fared better than Shaw, and made a blistering start to his United career when he scored on his debut before winning the Premier League Player of the Month award in his first month in English football. But has struggled for game time under Jose Mourinho. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 20 years old: Raheem Sterling, Liverpool – Man City, 2015. £53.13m. Deserted Liverpool for Manchester at the end of one of the most protracted transfer sagas of recent time, after a length and tortuous dispute over a new contract. Has enjoyed an encouraging start to his City career and has been a regular under Pep Guardiola. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 21 years old: Neymar, Santos – Barcelona. 2013. £74.97m. The exact sum of Neymar’s transfer from Santos to Barcelona is one of the most controversial subjects in football, but the following is without doubt: Neymar was the most expensive 21-year old player in the history of the game. An undoubted success at Barca, forming a formidable attacking triumvirate alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. Getty Images Most expensive players by age 22 years old: John Stones, Everton – Man City, 2016. £47.26m. Eyebrows were raised when Manchester City made John Stones the second most expensive defender of all-time (behind David Luiz). It was hoped that Pep Guardiola would be able to get the best out of a talented but frustratingly erratic young talent, but the costly mistakes have unfortunately yet to be eradicated. Getty Images Most expensive players by age 23 years old: Paul Pogba, Juventus – Man Utd, 2016. £89.25m. Manchester United infamously allowed Paul Pogba to leave for Juventus for a pittance, and then had to spend a world-record fee to get him back. It wasn’t the shrewdest of business decisions, but it made sense where the football was concerned: Pogba has scored four goals since returning and has been instrumental in United’s recent improvement. Man Utd via Getty Images Most expensive players by age 24 years old: Gareth Bale, Tottenham – Real Madrid, 2013. £85.85m. Surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo as the most expensive player in the world when he joined Real Madrid in 2013. He may not quite have reached the same formidable heights as CR7, but he has played an invaluable role in two Champions League winning campaigns. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 25 years old: Oscar, Chelsea – Shanghai SIPG, 2017. £51m. Joined Chelsea in 2012 as the next Kaka. Left this year as the next Paulinho. Showed flashes of his talent at Stamford Bridge – and started 28 games during Chelsea’s title-winning 2014/15 campaign – but ultimately failed to impress Antonio Conte. Worth far less than the £51m he was sold for. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 26 years old: Angel di Maria, Real Madrid – Man Utd, 2014. £63.75m. Further irrefutable evidence that Louis van Gaal doesn’t know how to spend large sums of money. Di Maria joined from Real Madrid for a club record fee, but a promising start to Old Trafford quickly faded, and United were more than fortunate to recoup £44m from the equally profligate PSG. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 27 years old: Luis Suarez, Liverpool – Barcelona, 2014. £69.46m. The Uruguayan came so very close to single-handedly winning Liverpool the Premier League title in 2014, before quitting and joining Barcelona. Things didn’t get off to the best of starts when he was suspended for the start of the season after biting Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup, but 40 goals in just 35 La Liga matches in his second season meant his occasional bouts of ill-discipline was quickly forgotten. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 28 years old: Gonzalo Higuain, Napoli – Juventus, 2016. £76.5m. In the 2015/16 season the irrepressible Higuain scored an incredible 36 goals to claim the Capocannoniere and equal Gino Rossetti's 87-year-old record for goals in an Italian top-flight season. His reward was a £76.5m move to Juventus, where he has unsurprisingly proved an instant success. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 29 years old: Zinedine Zidane, Juventus – Real Madrid, 2001. £62.48m. One of the best players of all-time, and for eight years, the most expensive player in the history of the game. Joined Real in the twilight of his career but still managed to fit in five highly successful seasons. Now manages the club he retired at. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 30 years old: Samuel Eto’o, Inter – Anzhi Makhachkala, 2011. £22.95m. FC Anzhi Makhachkala perhaps wasn’t the natural next stop on a glittering football C.V. that included Real Madrid, Barcelona and Inter Milan, but there was little chance Inter were going to turn down such a large fee for a 30-year old. Spells at Chelsea and Everton followed. Now interim player-manager at Turkish outfit Antalyaspor. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 31 years old: Gabriel Batistuta, Fiorentina – Roma, 2000. £27.63m. Batistuta hit the ground running when he first signed for Roma, managing 20 goals in 28 Serie A games, only six less than golden boot winner Hernan Crespo. But his advancing years soon caught up with him: The Argentine scored only 10 more league goals for the club over the next two league seasons. Most expensive players by age 32 years old: Shay Given, Newcastle – Man City, 2009. £7.65m. Given was regarded as one of the finest goalkeepers in the Premier League when he quit struggling Newcastle for nouveau riche Manchester City in 2008. Immediately displaced a junior Joe Hart – who was banished on loan to Birmingham – before the rookie was to replace him in the 2010/11 season. Given moved on to Aston Villa, for £3.5m. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 33 years old: Claudio Bravo, Barcelona – Man City, 2016. £15.3m. The less said about this one the better. Another case of Manchester City signing a goalkeeping in his twilight years, booting Joe Hart out on loan, and then wishing they could take him back. Bravo arrived for big money but his signing has proved an unmitigated disaster. Recently he has been benched in favour of Willy Caballero. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 34 years old: Lilian Thuram, Juventus – Barcelona, 2006. £4.25m. The most capped player in the history of the France national team, who enjoyed long and successful spells at Monaco, Parma and Juventus. Barca took advantage of the infamous Calciopoli scandal to sign Thuram for a discount price when Juventus dropped into Serie B, but the defender was forced into an early retirement after only two seasons at the club, after he was diagnosed with a heart defect. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 35 years old: Ze Roberto, Bayern Munich – Hamburg, 2009. £3.4m. Many thought Ze Roberto would see out his career at Hamburg, after the German club paid Bayern £3.4m for the then 35-year old. How wrong they were. He spent two successful seasons at the club only to depart for Qatari club Al-Gharafa, following that up with stints at Grêmio and Palmeiras. He’s still playing. He’s 43 this July. He signed a contract extension in December. Bongarts/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 36 years old: David James, Man City – Portsmouth, 2006. £1.45m. When 36-year old David James hurriedly left Manchester City for personal reasons in 2006, little did he know how successful his next move was to prove. James kept clean sheets in his first five appearances for Portsmouth, setting the tone for a fine four seasons on the south coast, which included an FA Cup win and an appearance in the Uefa Cup group stage. AFP/Getty Images Most expensive players by age 37 years old: Brad Friedel, Blackburn Rovers – Aston Villa, 2008. £2.13m. Friedel left Blackburn just two appearances short of Terry Gennoe's club record of 289 for a goalkeeper. Villa beat off interest from Manchester City for his signature, and the American was ever present for the next three seasons. He would move once again before his retirement, to Tottenham Hotspur. Now the head coach of USA Under-19s. Getty Images Most expensive players by age 38 years old: Marko Simeunovic, AEL Limassol – Interblock, 2006. £765k. The Slovenian goalkeeper enjoyed a storied career across eastern Europe and represented Slovenia at Euro 2000 and the 2002 World Cup before he became the most expensive 38-year-old player of all time upon signing for the appealingly named Interblock. Most expensive players by age 39 years old: Craig Brewster, Inverness – Dundee Utd, 2006. £340k. This is possibly the only instance of humble Dundee United featuring on a list of the most expensive transfers in football. Craig Brewster returned to the club as player-manager in January 2006, although the move wasn’t a successful one. The Tangerines went unbeaten for their first three matches, but then went on to win only one match for the remainder of the season. Brewster would cling on until October. Getty Images Most expensive players by age 40 years old: Bogdan Stelea, Unirea Urziceni – Brasov, 2008. £85k. Brasov forked out £85k for 40-year old Romanian goalkeeper Bogdan Stelea, but the former Salamanca number one was to make only 23 appearances before calling it a day. He immediately embarked on a managerial career, spending time at Astra Ploiești and Viitorul Constanța.

It is good advice, but Patrick and Justin are very different players. Patrick was an imposing 6 foot 2, elegant and ruthless, but able to bully centre-backs if he had to. Justin is a good five inches shorter and much slighter. Not a number 9 either, but a winger, most comfortable playing on the left.

Justin Kluivert says that his best qualities are that he is “quick” and “flexible”, rather than strong. His football hero is an old Barcelona team-mate of his father, Ronaldinho, who had “all the tricks”. And, after him, Cristiano Ronaldo.

“Not only tricks all the time, but fast and scores goals,” Kluivert enthuses. “And how he lives for football, that’s great. He’s a super-professional, his body is in shape, he scores every week. That is what I want to do as well.”

Ronaldo is Kluivert's idol (Getty)

For now Kluivert plays on left, but of course he knows that his hero Ronaldo has moved from out wide to number 9 in recent years. Even if Justin were to move inside, though, Ajax coach Peter Bosz cannot see him becoming a striker like his father. He just is not big enough.

“If he evolves as a number 9, and of course it’s possible, he will be a completely different player from his father,” Bosz says.

“Because his father is tall, and Justin is not very tall. At the moment, and he is still really young, I think his best position will be the wide positions. He can play both sides, which is also interesting. But, for the moment, not as a number nine.”

The teenager scored his first Eredivisie goal exactly 10 years and 1 day after his father's last career goal (Getty)

Wherever Kluivert plays on the pitch, there is no doubt in his mind that Ajax is the best place for him to learn. It is one of the best academies in the world, marked out not so much by the quality of the facilities but by the coaches themselves. Spend any time at De Toekomst and you will be bumping into legendary old Ajax players as soon as you step through the gates.

At the start of this season, Justin was playing with the A1 team, what the Dutch call their Under-19s. His father Patrick was due to be their coach for the season but in August he got a very lucrative offer to be sporting director of Paris Saint Germain. Kluivert was replaced by Aron Winter, his old team-mate.

Kluivert started the season well and quickly moved up to Jong Ajax, effectively the under-21s. “When we saw him playing there,” Bosz says, “we thought ‘ok, this is interesting.’ And we put him with us.”

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It is a big leap going that quickly into men’s football and Kluivert talks about how “strange” it is to play with grown men who have families and “big cars”.

With the first team he is coached every day by Dennis Bergkamp, his dad’s old strike partner with the Dutch national team. “He’s a great teacher for me, he can teach me a lot,” Justin says.

“If you look at him, how he touches the ball is unbelievable, he shoots perfectly. Then I ask him how he does it.” Bergkamp turned 48 this month. Kluivert says he still has the best first touch at the club.

Bergkamp is working with Kluivert (Getty)

Overseeing it all is Peter Bosz, a Cruyffian zealot whose aggressive high-pressing game has reinvigorated Ajax this season. He needs young quick players like Kluivert and Kasper Dolberg but Kluivert is happy to do all the running Bosz needs him to.

“Bosz, the trainer, for his first year I think he’s done an excellent job,” Kluivert says with startling assurance.

“We got 81 points, and we did get that many points in the Eredivisie for a long time. We didn’t win it, but we are in the Europa League final too. As a trainer he can be proud of himself. It’s great that he saw it in me. Thanks to him, it’s my time to shine.”

Yes, Kluivert is clearly blazingly confident. But he is the brilliant teenage scion of a great Dutch footballing family. How else would you expect him to be? He says himself that he is a ‘typical Amsterdammer’, along with Ajax right-back Kenny Tete.

Kluivert has also featured for Holland's youth teams (Getty)

“It’s how you act, you know, how you are, how you talk, how you do things,” Kluivert explains. “With confidence, that’s the number one. We both have a lot of confidence. We are scared of nothing, and that is in us at Ajax. You see that as well in the team.”

That mix of youthful swagger with classical Ajax values is what makes this team so exciting. And no-one can represent that better than Justin Kluivert. His father scored the winner in the 1995 Champions League final and won the Intercontinental Cup that year too before leaving for AC Milan on a Bosman free transfer in 1997.

Justin is unlikely to spend his whole career at Ajax but for now he knows there is nowhere better for him. And Patrick tells him that every day.