His dad played full-back for the Wales rugby team, but Caio Ifans opted for the round-ball game.

Ifans, who has just agreed a first professional contract at Swansea City, is the son of Garan Evans, the former Scarlets and Wales player who won four Wales caps and played at the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

Ifans, 18, played rugby as a youngster but has been on the Swans’ books since he was seven years old.

The goal is to reach the Championship club’s first team – and the defender has taken a step closer to achieving that target by signing a contract which runs until the summer of 2027.

“It means a lot to me and to my family that I’ve made it this far from being in the academy at such a young age,” Ifans told the Swansea website.

“I also played rugby growing up so I always loved sport, and I’ve come from a sporting family. But I started taking football more seriously when I was getting closer to scholarship age.

“The dream has always been to play for the first team and this is a step in the right direction.”