Ashley Young and Tyler Young: Everton star in line to face his son in FA Cup clash

While Arsenal’s clash with Manchester United is gaining traction as one of the most anticipated matches in the third round of the FA Cup, a rare occasion could present itself this evening when Everton host Peterborough United.

The Posh, who are currently 19th in League One, will make the trip to Merseyside after beating Notts County 4-3 in the previous round. As the two prepare to lock horns at Goodison Park, there is a chance Ashley Young could come up against his son in tonight’s clash.

The defender’s 18-year-old son Tyler Young plays as a midfielder and he joined Peterborough last summer from Queens Park Rangers. Young Jr has made just one senior appearance for the League One side so far — a stint off the bench in the EFL Trophy against Stevenage to mark his debut.

However, Posh manager Darren Ferguson has hinted that he could create an opportunity for Tyler to come up against his dad in what will certainly be a milestone moment in his career.

“Ash has put me under a bit of pressure there. I’ll have to find a way of getting Tyler involved,” Ferguson told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, addressing Young Sr’s social media post about their father-son dreams potentially coming true. The Peterborough boss is the son of legendary former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

“It's a great story, let's deal with that when it comes around. Ash is still playing, he's had a fantastic career and now Tyler is just starting his. These are the kind of stories the FA Cup does bring up and it would be another good one.”

Ashley Young vs Tyler Young potential match up

The Youngs have already been thinking about potentially meeting each other on the pitch this evening. Young Sr revealed to talkSPORT that he was ‘lost for words’ when he learned Everton would be taking on Peterborough.

Despite making 16 Premier League starts for the Toffees this season, the 39-year-old defender admitted his family have already backed Young Jr’s corner ahead of the match.

“Let's put it this way... they've not got Everton shirts, so they've all gone and leaned towards Tyler's side. I even think my own parents are actually leaning towards Tyler's side as well. So I'm just out here cheering on myself.

“I'm just a lone wolf, that's just me. But I get it. I understand it, but after the game they'll be back on my side once we've won. So it's all right.”

Tyler admitted it would be a special occasion to come on the pitch and play against his dad. While it’s a rare opportunity in football, it’s not unheard of that fathers and sons have shared the pitch over the years.

“Anything can happen in the FA Cup, so if we do come out with a good win, it'll mean even more because I would have just beaten my dad — and we've just won in the FA Cup,” Young Jr said.

Father-son football match-ups

There have been some wonderful examples of fathers and sons sharing the pitch in recent years. One well-known moment includes Rivaldo coming out of retirement at 43 to play for Mogi Mirim in 2015, alongside his son Rivaldinho. Both scored in the Brazilian second division match, and the Ballon d’Or winner was on hand to tee up his 20-year-old son’s header.

At 41, Henrik Larsson came off the bench for Swedish fourth tier side Högaborgs during an injury crisis in 2013, featuring in a match his 15-year-old son Jordan scored in.

Ex-Chelsea man Eidur Gudjohnsen was part of a unique moment when he made his international debut for Iceland in 1996 at 17. He was substituted on for his father, Arnor Gudjohnsen, who was 34 at the time. Sadly, the two never got to share the pitch, despite it being planned for them to start together, according to UEFA. Gudjohnsen Jr suffered a broken leg and by the time he recovered, his father had retired from the game