How to get an in-game son in Football Manager 2017

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You've heard the rumours and Fraser Gilbert is happy to share the know-how. Let's just hope your son can follow in your considerable footsteps...

Football Manager fanatics have long been asking how they can go about obtaining an in-game son. Facebook, Twitter and various forums have all hosted a range of rumours and myths on the topic, leading to much confusion over the years.

It’s time to set the record straight. Yes - you can get a son in Football Manager 2017, but it’s not quite as cut and dried as you might think. We’ve detailed everything you need to know about this rare in-game easter egg - hopefully your virtual heir will be banging in the goals before long.

1. First, reach your mid-30s

As long as you’ve hit the all-important mid-30s mark, you’ll be entered into the lottery to get a virtual son

No, we don’t mean in real life. But if you hope to stand any chance of bagging a son in FM 2017, you'll need to be approaching your mid-30’s in the game. 

A common belief is that you also need to complete 10 seasons in your current save before gaining this opportunity, but that's not true. As long as you’ve hit the all-important mid-30s mark, you’ll be entered into the lottery to get a virtual son.

2. Wait until Youth Intake Day

If you’re hoping to acquire a son, the Youth Intake Day is when you’ll find him

Football Manager’s annual Youth Intake Day sees a set of regens enter the game’s database. If you’re hoping to acquire a son, this is when you’ll find him. It’s also a great way to get a headstart on the competition, allowing you to scout all the top young regens before anyone else has a chance to do so. 

In terms of the date, it varies based on the continent, country and year. European nations generally see their youth intakes occur around late February or early March, as do North American, Central American and Oceanian sides. Asian teams tend to opt for August time, South America for September and Africa for October.

3. Cross your fingers

According to Sports Interactive’s Miles Jacobson, the chances that a son will be generated are one in 10,000

Let’s get this out of the way - there are no guarantees you’ll get a son in a standard game of Football Manager 2017. You can’t actually increase your chances either - this feature is an ultra-rare occurrence bestowed upon a lucky few. 

According to Sports Interactive’s Miles Jacobson, the chances that a son will be generated are one in 10,000. The only way to get around this is to keep reloading at the point of youth intake, but considering the odds, it would almost certainly take numerous hours to finally stumble upon your virtual offspring.  

4. Unlock through FM Touch/FM Mobile

Available for tablet and PC devices, Football Manager Touch 2017 offers a unique ‘Son Generated’ component. By activating it, you’ll bypass the aforementioned randomisation and automatically gain a son for the team you’re currently managing.

There are two ways of unlocking this feature: you can either pay the minimal sum of £1.49 to apply it in-game, or you can opt for one of your signed players to amass 10 years' service at your club before retiring.

If you want to go a step further, the ‘Design A Son’ feature allows you to acquire a son and customise his playing data and biographical attributes. It can be bought for £2.99, or activated with the below instructions (as explained on the official forums):

- A player must start his career at your club whilst you are managing and retire after at least 20 years' service.

- You cannot holiday during this period.

Finally, the ability to generate a son is available in Football Manager Mobile 2017 too. It can be purchased from the in-game store for £0.79, or unlocked in a similar fashion to that of FM Touch’s ‘Son Generated’ feature.

5. Create them yourself

Don’t forget the ‘Create a Club’ mode allows you to make an entire team of created players if you so desire

If all else fails, you can always generate a son yourself. The official pre-game editor is free to download and can be found under ‘tools’ in Steam. Alternatively, you could opt to purchase the in-game editor, which allows you to make changes on the fly.

Don’t forget the ‘Create a Club’ mode allows you to make an entire team of created players if you so desire. Why limit yourself to a son? You could establish a whole family of superstars, equipping them with the best attributes in the game and watching them fulfil their destinies. It’s totally up to you.

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Fraser Gilbert