Marley Leuluai, the son of former NRL forward Kylie Leuluai, will not follow in his father's footsteps but instead embark on his own journey in a different code.

Marley Leuluai has signed his maiden professional contract for soccer sporting giants Burnley FC, who compete in the English Premier League - the top-tier of soccer in England.

A defender by trade, the youngster has represented the Under-17s New Zealand national team and is representing the country at the FIFA Under-17s World Cup in Indonesia at the moment.

Leuluai's father is none other than Kylie Leuluai. A journeyman, Leuluai had stints with the Balmain Tigers, Wests Tigers, Sydney Roosters, Parramatta Eels and Manly Sea Eagles across eight years in the NRL - registering 78 first-grade games.

However, the Samoan international is mainly known for his time overseas with Super League club Leeds Rhinos where he managed to play 258 games and score 88 points from 2007 to 2015.

โ€œIt's a dream come true to sign my first professional contract," said the younger Leuluai.

"That's it really, I can't say much more, it's a dream.

โ€œI think it's been the perfect transition, to be honest, joining Burnley's Academy. The style of play we're trying to play; I've been playing that all my life, so it's been a really good transition, and I'm loving every minute. It's been really good so far.

"I'm so excited, to represent your country in a World Cup is a dream come true as well. I've got an exciting few weeks coming up so I can't wait.โ€