5 footballers who outshone their fathers

"You will see my life through your eyes, as your life will be seen through mine. The son becomes the father and the father becomes the son."

Superman's quote is a beautiful reminder of the relationship between father and son. Every father wants nothing more than for the family legacy to live on.

When it comes to football, nothing makes them more proud than to see their son make their professional debut, win a few games and lift a trophy or two.

However, there are a few sons who had far more successful careers than their fathers. We look at five such players who outshone their fathers.

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1) Paolo Maldini and Cesare Maldini

Cesare Maldini was a football legend in his own right. Having spent 12 of his 15-season-long career at AC Milan, the defender won four Serie A titles and a European Cup.

Of course, he wasn't exactly a 'defender' in the modern sense. Back then the player positioned in front of the goalkeeper played behind the defence as a sweeper (the libero). Cesare grew to become one of Italy's finest defenders of all-time with an all-round game that allowed him to not only thwart attacks but also initiate them from the back.

When his son Paolo Maldini burst on to the scene at the age of 16 as a full-back, comparisons were made before he eclipsed his father's achievements.

Under the tutelage of the legendary Arrigo Sacchi, Paolo became a crucial member of the Immortals and later the Invincibles under Fabio Capello which went 58 matches unbeaten and reached three consecutive Champions League finals.

By the time Paolo hung up his boots at the end of a 25-year career, he had won seven Serie A titles and five European Cups/Champions League titles. In all, he had made 902 appearances for Milan and 126 appearances for Italy.

2) Eidur Gudjohnsen and Arnor Gudjohnsen

Eidur Gudjohnsen (R) with his father Arnor

Iceland was never famous for producing great footballers that thrived in Europe until Arnor Gudjohnsen moved to Belgian side Anderlecht in the 1980s. It wasn't exactly a special career but he did finish top scorer in the 1986/87 season.

It was his career with the Iceland national team that was his claim to fame. With 73 caps to his name, he scored 14 goals for the Strákarnir okkar before hanging up his boots. But not before we saw something truly special on the pitch.

On 24 April 1996, Iceland beat Estonia 3-0. It was a special game marked by a substitution. When 34-year-old Arnor's number went up, he came off and hugged his 17-year-old son Eidur who would replace him.

Their biggest regret was that they never shared the pitch together as Eidur broke his ankle in an U-18 match and he took time to recover, by which time Arnor's career was done.

But it was Eidur who would go on to have a far more fulfilling career. Not only would he go on to become Iceland's top goalscorer of all time (26 goals in 88 appearances) but he would win two consecutive league titles with Chelsea which rewarded him with a move to Barcelona.

He played a bit-part role in Barcelona's 2008/09 treble before moving on to a host of clubs such as Monaco, Tottenham Hotspur and Club Brugge before finishing his career with Molde.

In a career that saw him earn 656 caps, he scored 158 goals before he retired at the age of 39.

3) Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Pierre Aubameyang

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (L) with his father Pierre Aubameyang

When we first hear the name Aubameyang, we immediately think of Borussia Dortmund and Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. But the Aubameyang name goes back as far as the 1980s when Pierre François Aubameyang (also known as Yaya) plied his trade in clubs on three different continents.

Yaya also played for Gabon, earning 80 caps as a defender. Although he played for a number of clubs in a career that spanned 20 years, Yaya's longest stint was with French club Stade Lavallois where he spent seven years.

Yaya had three children - Catilina, Willy and Pierre-Emerick - all of whom became footballers. While Catilina and Willy aren't exactly household names, Pierre-Emerick did become one.

After hanging up his boots, Yaya became a scout with AC Milan and that is where Pierre-Emerick's career took off. A few loan spells and two seasons at Saint-Etienne earned him a move to Borussia Dortmund and that is where he took his game to the next level.

Aubameyang has been the Bundesliga club's top goalscorer for the last three seasons. He's picked up various awards such as the African Footballer of the Year, Bundesliga Player of the Year and the Golden Boot award (the kicker Torjägerkanone) for the 2016/17 season.

4) Javier Hernández and Javier Hernández

Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez (L) with his father Javier 'Chícharo' Hernandez

Javier 'Chicharito' Hernández is actually from the third generation of a family who have seen footballers play for Mexico at a World Cup. His grandfather Tomas Balcazar also played for El Tri in the 1950s.

His father 'Chícharo' had a moderately successful 18-year career with Mexican clubs Tecos, Puebla FC and Monarcas Morelia as a midfielder. He was also a member of the Mexican squad that reached the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals on home soil.

Two years later, he would father Chicharito who first played for Guadalajara in Mexico before Manchester United came in and signed him before other clubs got word of a teenager who had scored 10 goals in 11 games.

Javier Hernandez (L) with his grandfather Tomas Balcazar

He has since won two league titles with the Red Devils, earned a loan move to Real Madrid where he helped them win the Club World Cup and finished top goal scorer for Bayer Leverkusen with 26 goals in a season.

Chicharito has also played in two World Cups for Mexico (2010 and 2014), reaching the Round of 16 on both occasions. He is also now the top goal scorer for Mexico with 49 goals to his name.

5) Frank Lampard and Frank Lampard

Frank Lampard Sr (L) and Frank Lampard Jr (R)

Before Frank Lampard made a name for himself at Chelsea, his father had already cemented the name as an English club football great. Frank Lampard Sr had spent 18 years at West Ham where he amassed over 660 appearances.

Making his debut at the age of 19, he made the left-back position his own. As the Hammers bounced between the first and second division, Lampard was part of the squad that won two FA Cups.

When his son also decided to follow in his father's footsteps, he joined West Ham's famous youth academy where his father was an assistant coach. Lampard's stock soon rose over the next five years and that was when Chelsea came in with a £11m bid.

Frank Lampard Sr and Jr in 2012

Frank never looked back. By the time the midfielder left the Stamford Bridge club, he was their top goal scorer with 211 goals, having won the Premier League thrice, the FA Cup four times and the club's first Champions League trophy.

He also made 106 appearances for England, scoring 29 goals for the Three Lions.