IN A family of footballers you might expect a few egos, but there’s no danger of that with the Rodriguez clan. Local non-league legend dad Kiko, Burnley star Jay, 21, and younger brother Joe, 15, are good at keeping each other grounded. We met up with the trio of strikers at their Burnley home to find out how football is in their blood.

Kiko, your parents and siblings were born in Spain but you were born in Burnley. How did that happen?

“There’s about 10 years between me and my brother and sister.

"Before I was born my parents came over to England because there was no work at home, while my brother and sister stayed in Spain with my grandma.

"They made some friends in York and then went to work for a wealthy family - kind of like a butler and a maid.

“While they were there they made friends with some people from Burnley and then moved here to run St James’ Cafe bar on St James’ Street, and then I was born.

“We went back to Spain for a while until I was four or five and then we came back.

“I went back on my own when I was 16 for about two years and had trials at a few clubs.

"But it didn't work out so I came back home. I played for Burnley United and had trials at Burnley for a good couple of months.”

Were you disappointed not to be taken on?

“I wasn’t dedicated enough. I wanted to go out, play football and then go out again.

“I enjoyed playing non-league though. I played all over at North West Counties League level.

“I got another opportunity at Burnley after Jay was born, but I was working at the same time.

"I was going to training and playing in the reserves. I was only getting expenses but losing money at work so I had to stop.

“When I was 32 I got asked to sign for Ossett Town, but with working then travelling over there for training on Tuesdays and Thursdays and then games at the weekend it would have been too much, so I ended up managing Burnley United and started playing for Burnley United Miners’ Veterans.

Was it inevitable that your boys would both play football?

JOE: “They've always said that if we didn’t want to do it we didn't have to.”

KIKO: “We’ve never pushed them.”

Did you always know that Jay would make a career out of the game?

KIKO: “It was weird how it all happened really. I took Joe with me to football when he was about four and he took to it straight away, but Jay was about seven or eight when we realised he could kick a ball because he’d never been interested before that.

“I used to run a team in Brunlea and he came with me just for the sake of something to do.

“We put him on the bench a couple of times.”

JAY: “I used to be in one of those all-in-one sub suits. I hope there are no photos of that!”

KIKO: “One time we had to bring him on, and when he played he used to laugh. We’ve no idea why, he just did.

"But on this occasion he was on for about 10 minutes and scored two.

“We didn’t think anything of it at the time, then the club folded because a lot of the kids went to different clubs, so Jay went to Barrowford Celtic.”

Had you got a taste for football then?

JAY: “I think I must have. We had quite a good team too with Connor Smith and Vince Overson’s son Jack.”

KIKO: “Out of 14 of those Under 10s and Under 11s they took about nine to Burnley.”

JAY: “It started to get a bit more serious for me when I was at Barrowford.

"We had good coaches and we were winning games. Then when I went to Burnley it go even more serious.

"But I never expected anything. I just took each year as it comes. I still do.”

KIKO: “When he went up to the Under 14s and 15s I thought he was going to struggle.

"He always had something about him but thought it depends what they are looking for.

“The coaching staff had told me his attitude was 100 per cent and dedication was 100 per cent but he wasn’t big enough.

JAY: “I was only about 5’8” or 9” at the time.”

KIKO: “I said ‘I can’t stretch him!’. He was small and skinny.

"But I explained that when I was at school I was one of the smallest and grew as I got older.”

Did you fear Jay wouldn’t be kept on at Turf Moor?

KIKO: “I thought the worst when he came to the end of the Under 16s.

"All the boys had time slots to go in and see the coaches to find out whether they had a contract or not.

"He had hardly played for the last couple of months. Maybe it was a test to see how he reacted.”

JAY: “I had a plumbing course booked at Burnley College just incase I didn’t make it and decided that if the football comes, it’s a bonus.”

KIKO: “Me and his mum went down to the club with him.

"We saw other parents - people we knew - walking out and shaking their heads. We all felt sick.

“There was Pash (Terry Pashley), Brian Taylor and Vince (Overson) in the room - one of the suites in the Bob Lord Stand.

“Jay was pale, I was white as a sheet thinking ‘is he going to be a plumber’.

“Vince said ‘I’m going to get straight to the point’. I thought , ‘here we go’.

"Then Vince said ‘we’re going to take him on’. It was the first time I heard Jay swear!

“Pash looked across the table and said ‘I’m looking at a little boy still. He’s got a lot of hard work to do’.

“Jay asked if he could still do his plumbing because he’s never taken anything for granted.”

JAY: “I didn’t expect to play. There was still a long way to go.

“But in the youth team we all had lessons in sports science as part of our education.”

You must have been even more nervous when it came to finding out if Jay had got a pro contract?

KIKO: “Yes. He still didn’t expect anything though.”

JAY: “When Pash and Vince told me I knew it was another chance for me to carry on and improve.”

Did you support Burnley?

JAY: “I did, but the only games I used to watch were when we got free tickets from the School of Excellence.

“I don’t really watch a lot now. I’ll watch England or a good game on the television. I suppose I should watch more.

KIKO: “I’ll watch Sky Sports News on a loop. Sometimes we’ll all decide to watch a match on the telly, but when it comes to kick-off there’ll be just me sat in front of the telly.

“Joseph will be playing on his X-Box with his headphones on and Jay will be doing something else.

JOE: “I’ve always liked football but I’d rather be playing it.

"I do support Burnley and used to watch them every week.

"I went with my mates but then they stopped going and now I can’t be bothered.”

JAY: “You watched Burnley more when I wasn’t playing! (laughs).

Does Jay take after you Kiko?

“I was a bit more boisterous.

“In football you’ve either got to work hard or be lucky.

"I’ve seen a lot of kids and blokes who I played with who were talented - Keith Blackburn for example.

"He was one of the best amateur footballers in Lancashire that I’ve ever seen, but for some reason he never got picked up.

“I blame myself for not making it because I wasn’t dedicated enough. Jay’s different.

“His mates would go out on Saturday night, but he would be in bed for half nine because he was playing football on a Sunday morning.

“But we said to him like we say to Joseph, ‘if you want to stop, stop’.

"We’ve never forced them into it. We’ve never pushed them.

“As a parent you are keen and want to do the best for them, but I found myself having to hold back when Jay first started playing.

“Like all the parents on the sidelines I’d be cheering him on, but when he did something wrong or lost the ball he would look over at me. He was worried what I was thinking.

“Carol told me to just let him play and enjoy it, so I calmed down after that.

"I still went to watch but I didn’t say anything until after a game and gave him advice and pointers that way.”

As manager of Padiham Under 18s now Kiko, you’ll be in charge of Joe. Will that cause problems?

JOE: “It won’t bother me.”

KIKO: “I treat all the lads the same. Whether they’re my son, my cousin or unrelated - for 90 minutes, if they don’t perform, they don’t play.

“The trouble is, if I drop him he comes back and tells his mum (laughs).”

Who’s the best player out of all of you?

KIKO: “Joseph is better.”

JAY: “Yeh, I’d agree with that.”

KIKO: “Don’t get me wrong, what Jay is doing now is unbelievable. It’s a dream for anyone.

"But Joseph is more confident than Jay was at his age.

“But Jay was at Burnley and had a proper coach, while Joe has been to clubs here and there.

JOE: “I had trials for two or three weeks at Burnley about five months ago, but they released all the trialists. Before that I was at Bury.”

Joe, have you got a back-up plan like Jay had?

“I’ve just done my GCSEs at Sir John Thursby - 16 exams altogether in a short period of time - then at A level I’m taking PE, Human Biology and Psychology in the Sixth Form.

“But all I want to do is football.”

How have the exams gone?

JOE: “I think I’ve done well but I don’t know for sure until August.

"I got a distinction star for my PE coursework so hopefully the rest of that exam is okay.

What’s your most nerve-wracking moment?

JAY: “Singing in front of all my team-mates on my first senior pre-season tour, in Austria.”

More nerve-wracking than your debut?

JAY: “Yeh, probably.”

KIKO: “We missed his debut. We’d taken his grandma and grandad out for a meal and didn’t know he was on the bench until we heard it on the radio when we were sat in the Alex on Todmorden Road.

“All I kept thinking was ‘we should be there’.”

JOE: “The only time I went up to Stirling to watch him when he was on loan there the game was called off. I didn’t go again.”

Would it be a dream to see Jay and Joe play in the same team?

KIKO: “It really would.”

JAY: “I wouldn’t mind playing against him! But, no, that would be good.