Former Middlesbrough forward Jaime Moreno's career is coming to an end but his 14-year old son James is just kickstarting his.

36-year old Moreno is currently finishing up his second stint with MLS club DC United but has been keeping tabs on how James has been fairing in Bolivia's famous Tahuichi youth academy.

"He loved it," said Moreno of his son. "He had a great experience.

"He did learn a lot. Seeing other kids with no shoes and that other stuff, I think that's what's more important," he added. "For me, it was more important than the soccer part, because that's where you appreciate life more. He saw all that and was pretty impressed with a lot of things. He's been there a couple times, but now I guess he sees things different."

Moreno admitted that his son had a genuine love for the game and was working on becoming a better player so he can emulate his old man in the future, although dad won't be pushing him.

"He's got to keep growing, he's got to keep learning," said Moreno. "He's definitely on the right track. He loves the game. He knows that it's not an easy path to follow, but he's got to do what he's got to do if he wants to play soccer. It's up to him."