I don't remember it, but he's always been an inspiration. Having a family member who won the World Cup has always been a great honour' James McAtee on the sporting excellence that runs in his family

"I've been told that I met him once or twice, McAtee tells FourFourTwo. I don't remember it, but he's always been an inspiration my mum would tell me about him when England played, so it was something I knew about from a very young age. Having a family member who won the World Cup has always been a great honour."

"The sporting heritage doesn't end there the other side of the family contains several former professional rugby league players. McAtee's father played a few games at scrum-half for St Helens, while his grandfather turned out for Leigh. When I was only seven or eight, my dad took me to a few training sessions, but it wasn't for me, he says. I was no good, I'm too soft for rugby. I thought, I'll stick to football!'"

"His brother John did the same born three years before James, he's also a footballer, playing for the likes of Bolton, Grimsby and Barnsley. As kids, the pair would play against each other in the garden John didn't just let his younger brother win. Not at all! James laughs. John was bigger and stronger, but he wouldn't hold back when we got a bit older, the tackles would fly in."

James McAtee is a Nottingham Forest midfielder and the great-nephew of England and Manchester City World Cup winner Alan Ball. McAtee was four when Ball died in 2007 and grew up aware of Ball's achievements, with his mother recounting Ball's England appearances. The other side of McAtee's family produced rugby league players: his father played scrum-half for St Helens and his grandfather played for Leigh. McAtee tried rugby aged seven or eight but found himself 'too soft' and chose football. His older brother John is also a professional footballer who played for Bolton, Grimsby and Barnsley; the brothers played competitively together as children.

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