Liverpool star Stefan Bajcetic has opened up about an unlikely link with teammate Thiago Alcantara.
On Thursday Liverpool announced that Bajcetic had signed a new contract until 2027.
The 18-year-old made his debut for Jurgen Klopp’s side in August and has since made a further nine appearances for the club.
Bajcetic even went on to score his first senior goal in the club’s Premier League win at Aston Villa in December.
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"There was a door - I'm not even sure it was open - but he ran through it and he was really exceptional," Klopp said of the Spain youth international
Bajcetic added: "It's amazing to see how fast it went. But I keep working hard and hopefully [there are] more things to come."
Bajcetic relationship with Klopp
Srđan Bajcetic, Stefan’s father, was at Celta Vigo at the same time as Mazinho, the father of Thiago.
While the pair were on the same team for a solitary season, they played together on multiple occasions as Los Celestes finished just four points clear of the relegation playoff place.
While Mazinho went on to spearhead the club to a UEFA Cup place in each of the next two campaigns, Bajcetic left at the end of the season, marking the end of the pair’s partnership.
On his family relationship with Thiago, Liverpool’s Bajcetic told the Liverpool website: “To be fair, it's a crazy story because I also played in a very, very little academy back in Vigo, the city where I was born – we played in the same little academy.
“When I told him I played in this academy, he was like, 'Wow!' It's unbelievable, this story.
“I think my dad hasn't talked with his dad but it's crazy to think about how small that town was and look at where we are now.”
When asked whether his father ever talked about Mazinho, the teenager added: “I don't know, to be honest. We never spoke about that.
“I know his dad was very good but I've never seen him play – I wasn't born. So I don't know how he played.”
Topics: Football, Thiago Alcantara, Spain, Jurgen Klopp, Celta Vigo
Chris Byfield