The father of Real Madrid’s Mayo signing reckons his son could become an Irish star

The father of the Irish-Spanish nine-year-old that's been snapped up by Real Madrid reckons his son has what it takes to one day don an Irish jersey.

The Ballyhaunis father of Los Blancos' youth academy member John Joe Patrick Finn - the story of which went a bit viral on JOE yesterday - today revealed to The Irish Sun that his son might one day play for the Irish team, while he also shared with the tabloid the story of 'Jonaldo's' impressive trial.

“His grandad back home is over the moon about the whole thing," father John, who emigrated from Mayo 19 years ago, told the newspaper.  “When we went down to see him play in the trial he came out in the whole Real Madrid jersey, it was all very professional.

“His team won six nil or something and he scored five of the goals. He loves Cristiano Ronaldo. When we went to the training ground you could see all the stars training.”

John also revealed that while John Joe has Irish, Spanish and Cameroonian roots (owed to his mother Odetta, a former catwalk model), he always makes sure that his son heads to Mayo from time to time. In fact, the nine-year-old has been to his father's county 16 times.

“His grandad brought him around Ballyhaunis recently and was telling people in the pub how his grandson had a trial for Real Madrid.

“No one would believe him. The local chemist said he should take a picture of him with Zinedine Zidane and then they’d believe him.”