Uruguay striker Diego Forlan will write a new chapter in his family's World Cup story when he plays at the finals in South Africa.
The 30-year-old, going through one of the better periods of his career after twice winning the European Golden Boot award, is the grandson of Uruguay's 1962 World Cup coach Juan Carlos Corazo and the son of Pablo Forlan, who played in defence for 'La Celeste' in the 1966 and 1974 tournaments.
As a youngster, he was a keen tennis player but his father pushed him towards soccer.
'Since I was a young lad, my father always took me to the yard and made me practise with my left foot. I kept at it and today I can score with my left or right,' he said in a recent interview.
After playing in local youth football, Forlan made his professional debut with Independiente of Argentina in 1998.
He moved to England's Manchester United in 2002 but his goal-scoring form was patchy. He endeared himself to the Old Trafford crowd, however, with his habit of whipping off his shirt and baring his torso when he scored.
He has flourished since his move to Spanish football in 2004. At Villarreal, he topped the league goalscorers' list and won the Golden Boot in 2004-2005, as well as helping the team to a Champions League spot. He joined Atletico Madrid in 2007, replacing the Liverpool-bound Fernando Torres. He won the Golden Boot again in 2008-2009.
South Africa will be his second World Cup, following his appearance in 2002 when his volleyed goal against Senegal did not prevent Uruguay going out in the group stage.
On Uruguay's erratic qualification road to South Africa, he scored seven goals - including a hat-trick against Peru - although critics still complained he was not hitting the net as often as he did with Atletico Madrid. He has scored 23 goals in 61 appearances for Uruguay.
He heads for South Africa on good form, having scored both of Atletico's goals in their 2-1 extra-time win over Fulham in the Europa League final.
