Meet Dortmund's startlet Reyna who would go on to become a global star

There was a sense of inevitability that Giovanni Reyna would go on to become a global star.

The son of former Manchester City and Rangers midfielder Claudio Reyna and United States women's international Danielle Egan, Gio, as he is affectionately known to those close to him, was all set from the very beginning to blend his father's creativity with his mum's athleticism. Football is indeed in his blood.

Named after his dad's former team-mate at Rangers, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, the versatile Dutch ace who also starred for Barcelona and Arsenal, expectation was immediately high.

But after scoring his first senior goal for Borussia Dortmund, even he would admit he has surpassed what many had imagined possible at such an early age.

Coming off the bench in Dortmund's 5-3 win over Augsburg, Reyna would have been the headline of the day after becoming the youngest American to feature in Bundesliga history. The only problem was a debut hat-trick from Norwegian striker Erling Braut Haaland.

The honour previously belonged to Christian Pulisic, now of Chelsea, but after his debut goal in the 3-2 German Cup defeat to Werder Bremen came close to breaking the internet, keeping a lid on excitement around him is now bordering on impossible.

'In training you can see that he has something special,' Dortmund boss Lucien Favre said. 'If you can't see that, you're blind.'

That goal, as he danced through the Bremen defence before curling a beautiful finish into the top corner, showed flashes of Eden Hazard and the close control the Belgian has mastered. Patrick Vieira, who spent time with Reyna at New York City Football Club, likens him more to World Cup winner David Trezeguet.

Whichever star he is compared to, Reyna never flatters to deceive. The fact four nations could end up fighting over him highlights the greatness that is expected from here on in.

To take it right back to the beginning, Reyna was born in Sunderland in 2002 with his dad playing in red and white in the Premier League.

French fries were his favourite food and Spongebob Squarepants was said to be his TV show of choice.

Early reports of him detailed how he initially possessed a Mancunian accent but it soon evaporated as he moved to the United States and into the academy system at NYCFC.

But being born in the north east of England makes him eligible for Gareth Southgate and any future England manager. His current rise with Dortmund is unlikely to have escaped their attention.

There is interest from Portugal and Argentina, too. His grandmother Maria is Portuguese and was the reason he was eligible for a European passport. That was key in allowing him to sign for Dortmund at 16, instead of being made to wait until he was 18, which would have been necessary with a US passport.

His grandfather, Miguel, played professionally in Argentina and, with a view to life beyond Lionel Messi, the country's football association are reported to be closely monitoring Reyna's progress as they assess whether the time is now to poach him from the US youth set-up.

There was also a fraught battle between adidas and Nike to secure him to a lucrative sponsorship deal at 14 and while his friends navigated their way through the trials and tribulations of high school, Reyna put his focus into becoming a global star.

'It's crazy at times, thinking about all my friends being in high school back home and I'm in Germany playing professional football right now in the Bundesliga,' Reyna, in conversation with Dortmund's matchday magazine, said.

'It's crazy, but I'm loving every minute of it. I'm enjoying it and learning a lot, so I'm really happy right now.'

But his incredible rise has been tinged with permanent sadness having lost his older brother Jack to cancer when he was just nine. Jack was 13 and was incredibly close to his football-loving brother.

'He idolised and worshipped Jack,' Claudio Reyna admitted in a Sports Illustrated interview. 'The one who made him what he is today, his talent, was really Jack.'

Similarities to the career of his dad are inevitable, especially after he swapped the US for Germany so early in his career.

Claudio had spells at both Bayer Leverkusen and Wolfsburg at the start of his career before eventually moving across to English football.

And while 'Gio' originally arrived to be the diamond in the club's Under-19 side, his ascent into the Dortmund first team was swift. He always has been a player to compete above his age.

Back in April 2017, a 14-year-old Reyna competed with NYCFC at the prestigious Generation Adidas Cup. It is a tournament designed for Under-17 sides from MLS teams. Given he was three years younger than many team-mates and opponents, he would have been forgiven if the tournament passed him by.

But Reyna never wilts under the spotlight and not only did he play a key role in NYCFC winning the tournament, he finished as the MVP.

Kobe Bryant, who tragically died in a helicopter crash alongside his 13-year-old daughter Gianna last month, is Reyna's sporting inspiration.

His early flashes of brilliance at Dortmund are a sign of the 'Mamba Mentality' that the Los Angeles Lakers became known for.

His goal against Bremen was sublime but he will only look at team-mate Jadon Sancho as an example of the path ahead.

At Dortmund, Reyna has all the tools available to become the latest star from their famed production line.