European champion and pundit Jamie Carragher sparked controversy this week when he urged up-and-coming players to hold off on having children and focus on the football.

The 46-year-old, who rose through Liverpool’s academy and went on to win multiple FA Cups, Football League Cups and the coveted Champions League title, said on his podcast young players should wait until their thirties before having kids to avoid distractions from the game.

The former Liverpool star said: ‘I do love the fact that my son not saw me play, can remember going to games, and at a cup final at the end, he was actually on the pitch – I think it was in 2012, towards the end of my career. It is something nice to look back [on].

‘But, I always think now, as a player, my advice to my kids is to have kids, not as late as possible, but to almost get to your thirties.’

As a majority of British women now delay parenthood past the age of 30 in part to focus on their careers, the comments have sparked debate about the importance of work-life balance and how much priority we give to our careers.

Matt O’Connor, founder of campaign group Fathers 4 Justice, said he disagreed with Carragher and questioned the evidence behind his comment.

‘I understand what he’s saying – a lot of men are delaying becoming fathers until much later in life to focus on their careers,’ he told MailOnline.

‘But having children is one of the greatest things you can do – it provides a balance to your life and perspective.

‘That’s really important when it comes to footballers too. Its a really part of growing up that helps shape them as an individual and a man, both on and off the pitch.

‘If you look at footballers like Ronaldo it’s not caused any problems.

‘So I wouldn’t agree with him when he says people to should delay becoming fathers.’

Below, MailOnline looks back on some of the footballing icons who have graced the field in recent years – and how having children in their twenties affected their careers.

David Beckham

David Beckham OBE was just 17 when he made his first-team debut for Manchester United in 1992, going on to win six Premier League titles with the club before moving to Real Madrid in 2003 (overlooking a brief stint on loan at Preston) and winding down at LA Galaxy and PSG.

Propelled to international stardom, Becks started dating Victoria Adams of Spice Girls fame after meeting her at a United players’ lounge in 1997. The power couple tied the knot in July 1999, four months after the birth of their first child, Brooklyn – and two months after the club’s Champions League final triumph over Bayern Munich.

By 2013, Beckham was listed as the highest-paid player in the world – and had since conceived three more children in Romeo James (b. 2002), Cruz David (b. 2005) and Harper Seven (b. 2011).

Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz went on to train with Arsenal at their state-of-the-art facility in Hertfordshire, with the children getting in on their parents’ various commercial partnerships and modelling opportunities.

Last year, Goal reported that David Beckham was still the sixth most followed footballer on social media, amassing 136.4million fans over Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney spent six years with Everton’s youth team before making his professional debut aged just 16 in 2002. By 2004, he had become the youngest ever goalscorer in the history of the Euros, putting past two Switzerland on his debut.

Rooney inspired a generation of young football fans with his 13 year career at Manchester United before returning briefly to Everton and moving on to pastures new in the United States.

That volley against Newcastle in 2005 (scored moments after arguing with the referee), his bicycle kick against City in 2011 and an audacious shot from near the halfway line against West Ham in 2014 provide a sense of Rooney’s presence and confidence at his prime.

But a stoppage time recovery and assist for D.C. United against Orlando in 2018 shows the centre forward kept his vision and tactical awareness for years after his peak.

Over a senior career spanning 19 years, Rooney scored 237 goals in 569 appearances, as well as 53 goals in 120 appearances for England – becoming the nation’s second-most-capped player and second-top goalscorer.

The Liverpudlian married childhood sweetheart in 2008 and had four sons together throughout his career – Kai Wayne (b. 2009), Klay Anthony (b. 2013), Kit Joseph (b. 2016) and Cass Mac (b. 2018).

Kai Rooney signed with Manchester United in 2020, carrying on the legacy.

Phil Foden

He may be one of England’s most promising football talents, but Foden’s four-year-old son Ronnie has also become something of a sensation after gaining an astonishing four million Instagram followers.

Ronnie has turned himself into a millionaire in just four months – despite still being in reception class at school.

The eldest child of the England footballer, 23, and partner Rebecca Cooke, 22, also has a talent manager, who lands brand collaborations for the account, which is managed by his parents.

Foden was a sprightly 18-year-old when he and his partner welcomed Ronnie into the world.

Through his parents, the youngster has partnered with Propel Talent Group, a company that claims to manage ‘the careers of some of the UK’s most sought after talent’, focusing on ‘digital talent.’

While some of the posts on Ronnie’s account are adorable snaps of him on the football pitch with his famous father, others are of the cute youngster on his own, posing in stylish outfits.

The account, which is verified on Instagram, shows Ronnie posing in photos with a number of brands tagged including ethical clothing brand Little Bird and Manchester-based shop The Couture Club.

Foden has gone from strength to strength at Man City and will play for England in the upcoming Euros

Raheem Sterling

Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling has enjoyed a decorated career over the last two decades, rising from a local youth team to QPR aged 10 before going on to play for Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea.

The winger made his senior team debut for Liverpool in 2012, scoring his first goal a week later in a friendly against Bayer Leverkusen. With a goal against Reading that October, he became the youngest player to score in a competitive fixture for Liverpool after Michael Owen.

The same year, his then-girlfriend Melissa Clarke gave birth to his daughter, Melody Rose.

By 2014, Sterling had caught the attention of the Professional Footballers’ Association, shortlisted among six for the Player of the Year Award. He went from strength to strength, scoring in his Champions League debut against Ludogorets Razgrad and winning the Golden Boy award later that year.

After three years in the senior team, Sterling became the most expensive English player of all time when he signed for Manchester City on a five-year contract worth $49million (including £5million in add ons). He was aged just 20-years-old at the time.

Since transferring to Chelsea for $47.5million in 2022, Sterling lives in London with his partner Paige Milian, who he met while as a youth player at QPR.

During the Qatar World Cup that winter, Milian shared photos supporting her fiancée in Qatar with their son Thiago, and with Melody Rose.

In 2019, Raheem Sterling’s third child, Thai-Cruz, was pictured for the first time with mother Paige in photos shared on Instagram.

Thierry Henry

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, who now works with Jamie Carragher on CBS Sports as a pundit, helped the Gunners through their Invincible 2003-04 campaign, going unbeaten in the league in a run ultimately stretching to 49 games.

Henry was worth an estimated fee of £11million when he transferred to Arsenal aged 22 in 1999 – then a significant amount for a relatively unproven talent – but manager Arsene Wenger was certain he would be worth the pricetag.

By his second season, Henry had broken through as a reliable fixture, becoming the club’s top goalscorer. Arsenal finished second in the league and just missed out on the FA Cup title, losing 2-1 to Liverpool.

A determined and star-studded team, with Henry at the centre, managed to take Arsenal to new heights in the 2003-04 season, the attacker scoring 39 goals in all competitions and collecting the European Golden Boot for his efforts.

In May 2005, Henry welcomed the birth of his first child with English model Nicole Merry. They separated soon after the Frenchman transferred to Barcelona in 2007, where he went on to score 35 goals in 80 games before moving on to New York Red Bulls.

Henry has been with his second wife, Andrea Rajačić, since 2011, with whom he has three children.

Despite his success at the top of European football, the acclaimed winger has nonetheless stressed the importance of balance. On CBS Sports he remarked on Jurgen Klopp’s decision to step back from managing Liverpool: ‘Good for you.’

‘I understand that it’s very nice for fans and everybody involved, journalists, but do not think only about yourself and thinking that the Premier League will miss Klopp, that Liverpool will miss Klopp.

‘We know that, we know that is true. But he was missing his family, he was missing his own time, he was missing his sanity. So good for him. When I got the news, I was like: “Good for you”.’

Eden Hazard

Eden Hazard hung up his boots for Real Madrid in 2023 but spent seven years at the top of his game with Chelsea, scoring 85 goals from 245 appearances while predominantly playing on the left wing.

The Belgian started his career with Royal Stade Brainois’ youth team in 1995 before passing through Royale Union Tubize-Braine and rising through the ranks at Lille.

But while still a youth player, Hazard met his long-term partner Natasha Van Honacker at the age of just 14. She joined him in Lille after completing her studies and gave birth to their first child, Yannis, in December 2010 – when Hazard was just 19.

The couple had three more children during Hazard’s career, Leo, Sammy and Santi, and married in 2012 – the year he joined Chelsea. In West London he earned a reputation as one of the best footballers in the world, before moving to Madrid in summer 2019 for a reported transfer fee worth up to 150million euros at the time.

Of note, both of Hazard’s parents were footballers. His father played with La Louvière in the Belgian Second Division in the 1990s while his mother played for a Division 1 club from the age of 20 to 26, according to Le Parisien.

Hazard is the eldest of three children. His brother Thorgan joined him at Chelsea in 2012 and enjoyed a spell at Borussia Dortmund – among other clubs – before heading back to Belgium. Kylian Hazard currently plays for Belgian side Beveren, and Ethan plays for Royale Union Tubize-Braine’s Under 21s side, following in Eden’s footsteps.