The 2005-06 season was pretty special for Ionut Mazilu.

Not only was he top scorer in the Romanian top flight with 22 goals for Sportul Studentesc of Bucharest.

He also became father to Adrian, who was born in September of that season.

Ionut was quite a star back in his day.

The striker scored 80 times in total for Sportul, won 12 senior caps for Romania and clinched a move to Rapid Bucharest.

When Dnipro paid Rapid four million euros to take him to Ukraine, it was the biggest fee ever received by a Romanian club.

He later secured a move to Arsenal – of Kyiv, not North London.

It would appear his career never fully lived up to his early potential.

But evidence suggests he was also setting an example to his young son Adrian as all that was going on.

Adrian has just agreed to join Albion in the mid-season transfer window and is known as a quiet, diligent worker on and off the pitch.

Albion will have done their background checks before securing his services.

But it appears they will not have found too much to worry them.

The Farul Constanta youngster has impressed with both his ability and his attitude and was fast-tracked as a result.

Emanuel Rosu, who covers Romanian football on a freelance basis from Bucharest, said: “He has a great attitude at the national team and at Farul.

“I have been told he never bothered anyone with his behaviour.

“He is desperate to have success, takes good care of himself.

“He is a family kid. Lives with the parents. Not a trouble maker.”

Mazilu has impressed Gheorghe Hagi, the former Romania star who is now coach at Farul.

Rosu said: “Hagi is crazy about him. He had the best physical tests results in all the team at the start of the campaign, that’s why Hagi accelerated his progress and sent him into the first team.

“Definitely a positive guy, but he knows his place, he doesn’t act like a star.”

Mazilu will combine football this season with his final year of high school along with left-back Andrei Borza.

How that works should Albion want to bring him to England from January remains to be seen.

But there is no doubt over Mazilu’s ambitions.

Rosa, who has spoken to academy staff at Farul, said: “He dreams of the big leagues and he says he feels capable of playing at the highest level.

“He loves Barcelona. He is mad about training and having a clear schedule.”