My dad won World Cup and is Premier League icon… now I’m making my own way in football but for another nation
JURGEN KLINSMANN is one of the most recognisable figures in football.
But now his son is trying to make a name for himself in the sport – in a different position and for another country.
Klinsmann Sr, 59, enjoyed an illustrious career with Inter Milan, Monaco, Tottenham and Bayern Munich.
He won two Uefa Cups and the Bundesliga – then made a splash in the Premier League with 38 Spurs goals and his iconic ‘diving’ celebration.
But it was on the international stage that Klinsmann made the biggest impact.
The striker led the line for West Germany when they won the 1990 World Cup and captained Germany to European Championships glory in 1996.
Klinsmann also helped his country to a bronze medal at the 1988 Olympics, scoring in the 3-0 third-fourth play-off win over Italy.
The 108-cap ace finished his playing career with a short stint at Californian minnows Orange County Blue Star in 2003 before turning his hand to management with Germany, Bayern, United States, Hertha Berlin and now South Korea.
Klinsmann – who has a baking diploma and a commercial helicopter pilot’s licence – is married to American former model Debbie Chin.
The couple have two children together, son Jonathan and daughter Laila.
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Laila has her own business photographing equestrian horses.
But her brother is trying to emulate their father.
Jonathan, 26, played basketball as a youngster but is now fully focused on football having switched from scoring goals to keeping the ball out of the net as a goalkeeper.
The transition happened when Klinsmann Jr was in the Bayern Munich academy when his dad was the first-team manager at the Allianz Arena.
And he stayed in between the sticks after returning to the States and representing the University of California’s Golden Bears team.
He trained with West Ham and Everton ahead of the Under-20 World Cup in 2017 – where he represented the United States due to his dual citizenship.
Klinsmann has represented the Yanks up to U23 level but does not have a senior cap.
And that means he is still eligible to choose between the USA, Germany and China through his parents.
At club level, Klinsmann made his professional debut for Hertha Berlin in the Europa League in 2017 and marked it by saving a penalty.
The keen golfer spent a year with St Gallen in Switzerland before joining LA Galaxy in 2020 but announced his departure in November 2023.
