Dan Ashworth in Man Utd transfer battle as son plots his own journey to the top
While Dan Ashworth looks set to plot Manchester United's return to glory, his son Zac is at the start of his own football journey.
The Bolton left-back – on loan from West Brom – is fortunate to have always been able to call on one of English football's brightest minds for help and advice.
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United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants to bring in 52-year-old Dan Ashworth from Newcastle to become sporting director.
And Zac knows exactly the qualities that made his father a success and that have also inspired him and his two siblings – younger brother Finn and older sister Tegan – in their own careers.
The 21-year-old ace told SunSport: “My dad has been huge for me. He was never one of those who forced me to play football if I wasn't enjoying it.
“I have a little brother who is at Wolves and we used to play football together but he didn't force us to do anything we didn't want to do.
“For example, my sister is a psychologist, so she chose her career and he made sure that whatever we decided to do, he would be there for us.
“As I've gotten older and football has become more serious when I turned professional at West Brom, having my dad to talk to has become even more important.
“I speak to him every day and he will always ask: 'How was the training, what happened?' For obvious reasons he can't come to that many games, but we talk a lot.
“He is a big part of my career. If I have any problems or questions, I can simply call him. Dad is always there to help. He has the experience and knowledge.”
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In the bad times when you are injured or not in the team, his advice and help is important. He always finds a way to keep me on track.
Zac Ashworth, Bolton left back
But while Dan Ashworth is a huge figure in his career, Zac says his mother Sian has been just as influential and important.
He said: “My mother did all the hard work. She was always the one who took me and my brother to and from training and matches, while she had to stand on the sidelines in the freezing cold.
“She played a big role when Dad was at work and not at home.”
While Dan Ashworth oversaw the creation of the 'England DNA' model during his time as FA technical director, his own genes are clearly visible in his three children.
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One of the greatest qualities Zac and his siblings learned growing up in the Ashworth household was the value of hard work.
And that has helped the defender enormously, because he knows that in football you cannot take anything for granted.
It takes sacrifice and dedication to become a professional, but staying there and achieving higher goals takes even more.
And Zac said, 'They taught us that you have to work for everything you want. Nothing comes easy, nothing is given to you on a plate. They never gave us handouts or what we wanted without working for it.
“They are always ready to help and support us. But for everything I have, I have worked for myself and that is the most important thing: staying grounded and not losing the edge to work hard.
“My mother was a teacher, so even when I was studying full-time at West Brom, she was keen for me to do my A-levels as a back-up because no one knows what's going to happen.
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“It's such a tough sport to crack and stay at the top. She wanted me to have that second option if things didn't work out, so I did an A-level in history and business.
After playing local youth football, Zac joined the West Brom outfit at the age of seven, where his father was technical director.
And he gradually progressed through the age groups until he signed pro forms – and his father was with him every step of the way.
Zac said: “When I was younger it wasn't that serious. He very much said, 'You play football because you enjoy it.'
“Even if you are quite good at it as a child, no one ever thinks about what you need to do at the age of 12, 13 or 14 to become a professional.
“You just enjoy playing with your friends. There's none of that pressure and expectation that comes with it.
“But when you start playing football in the first team, it is new and different.
“In the bad times, when you are injured or not in the team, his advice and help is very important, but he always finds a way to keep me on level.
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“If I do well, he keeps me down to earth. He always says to me: it's never as good or bad as you think.
“He ingrained in me the need to maintain that neutral headspace and take it one game at a time.”
Zac became a Baggies fan as his father took him to matches and he idolized Chris Brunt and James Morrison.
So he fulfilled a boyhood dream by breaking into the first team two years ago.
And in an extraordinary twist of fate, he made his FA Cup debut at The Hawthorns against Brighton, where his father was then technical director.
So Dan Ashworth sat in the stands to proudly watch his boy come on in the 68th minute – ironically replacing his ex-youth teammate Taylor Gardner-Hickman.
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Zac said: “It was a dream come true – not only to play for West Brom, but to look up and see my dad sitting in the stands because he worked at Brighton.
“And my mother, who is already nervous watching games, looked like she was about to cry!
“Sometimes these things are meant to be that way.”
Ashworth made three starts and three sub appearances for the Baggies before being loaned out to Burton for the second half of last season.
This Bolton campaign has taken some time to get going due to back-to-back injuries that plagued him at the start.
But he has been playing more games recently and this week won the SkyBet League One goal of the month award for his daring Bergkamp-style volley against Carlisle.
He laughed. “I've lost count of how many times I've rewatched it!”
You can bet his dad has too!