What's in a name? PSG's NxGn starlet Timothy Weah writing his own story

With several key players enjoying a well-earned rest after their World Cup excursions, Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel has had to lean on youngsters during his side's pre-season campaign.

An encouraging victory over Atletico Madrid was preceded by two dispiriting defeats by Bayern Munich and Arsenal, with just a handful of the two dozen players utilised by Tuchel staking first team claims.

But while the former Borussia Dortmund boss is counting down the days until Neymar, Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe return to the French capital, he will have certainly been encouraged by the performances of young Timothy Weah, whose stock has been steadily rising over the last few months.

Son of 1995 Ballon D'Or winner George - now the president of Liberia - Weah was given a few run-outs by now-Arsenal manager Unai Emery last season and made his international debut for USA in March; he notched his first goal for the US against Bolivia in May as interim coach Dave Sarachan blooded a number of youngsters in the wake of their failure to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1986. 

Weah is building on his strong showing for the USMNT after Tuchel publicly declared that the youngster "holds all the cards" in terms of his prospects for the coming season - the 18-year-old scored the opener against Bayern and was involved in goals in the games against Arsenal and Atletico.

His athletic build, searing pace, eye for a killer pass and composure in possession and in front of goal were all evident against some of Europe's heavyweights. And while those encouraging displays won't be enough to dislodge Cavani, Mbappe or Neymar from the PSG line-up, Weah has seemingly done enough to earn himself a starting berth for the Trophees des Champions clash against Monaco on Saturday. 

His father's achievements certainly leave him with a lot to live up to, but the talented teenager is keen to ensure that people understand he has made it this far through sheer hard work, not simply because of his name.

"My surname is on my back, so I don't see it when I play -- that is for the fans only," Weah told ESPN. "Because of that, there is no pressure for me. I just focus and concern myself with playing as I can.

"Of course I watch videos of my father's goals from time to time, while I also receive a lot of advice from him, but what you see on the pitch is the result of my own hard work."

Weah will have to continue to put in the hard yards if he harbours hopes of becoming a regular for PSG, but the early signs under Tuchel, a manager known for developing young talent, have been universally positive.

Get Goal+ for your Samsung device now - it's the ultimate stats app for fans that features real-time performance data and is now available on the hottest new mobile device