Jordi Cruyff on target to fulfil father's dream

CELEBRATING his 20-year relationship with Barcelona last year, Johan Cruyff said his one dream was for his son, Jordi, to play in the club's first team.

Less than a year later, 20-year-old Jordi appears on the threshold of fulfilling that dream. Six goals in two games have made him Barcelona's top scorer on their recent pre-season tour.

'Cruyff and Cruyff: The New Tandem,' said the front-page headline of the Barcelona-based El Periodico, while the rest of Spain's newspapers ran laudatory reports on the budding midfielder.

Jordi teamed up with Gheorghe Hagi to score three in Barcelona's 5-5 draw against Groningen and netted another hat-trick in the 4-1 win over De Graafschap last week.

But the young Cruyff appears not to be allowing his success to go to his head. 'We mustn't exaggerate. I've demonstrated that I know something, but now I want to be left alone to show I can do more,' he said.

Born in Amsterdam, Jordi began following in his father's footsteps by playing in the juvenile teams of Ajax, then coached by his father. But when Cruyff senior decided to return, as coach, to his former club Barcelona, Jordi went, too.

In six years, Jordi has risen steadily through the ranks to become a permanent starter for Barcelona 'B'. But his recent performance for the first team in the friendly games indicates it will not be long till he is a permanent starter there, too.