Ashley Young and his son Tyler made sure they enjoyed the moment ahead of Everton’s FA Cup tie against Peterborough at Goodison Park.
The Toffees host the League One team in the third round of the iconic competition on Thursday evening.
The tie has generated a lot of attention as Everton star Ashley, 39, went up against Tyler, 18, who plies his trade for Peterborough.
Ashely has had an impressive career in which the veteran made 739 appearances for the likes of Watford, Aston Villa, Man United, Inter Milan and Everton.
The defender, who still plays regularly for the Toffees, won the FA Cup with United in 2015/16 and has made 31 appearances in the competition.
The Youngs were hoping to make history as father and son have not played against each other in the 154 years of the competition, although both were named on the bench for the match.
Ashley Young shared a touching moment with son Tyler, 18, ahead of Everton vs Peterborough
The Youngs faced off in Thursday’s FA Cup third round tie at Goodison Park
Ahead of kick-off, they shared a pre-match chat after being named on the substitutes bench
Nevertheless, Ashley and Tyler shared a touching moment ahead of kick-off as they gathered on the Goodison Park pitch for a pre-match chat.
During the heartwarming encounter, both Youngs were seen smiling as they walked out of the tunnel together, before stopping for a chat.
After the match started, the two substitutes warmed up on the sidelines.
As they went through their parts, they passed each other, Tyler grinning as he took in the occasion.
While Ashley is a distinguished veteran, Tyler is certainly a newcomer. The creative midfielder has made just one professional appearance when he came off the bench in an EFL Trophy match against Stevenage in October.
Meanwhile, he was not part of the matchday squad in Peterborough’s last fourteen matches before being selected on the bench for the match against Everton.
The 18-year-old was part of QPR’s academy during his formative years before moving to the Posh in the summer.
Ahead of the match, Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson had teased the prospect of the Youngs meeting.
To add to the occasion, both Youngs then warmed up next to each other on the sidelines
Ashley said it would be a highlight of their careers if they managed to get on the field together
“Tyler will be on the bench, although I can’t guarantee he will continue,” he confirmed on Wednesday. ‘I think the way the match goes will determine that.
‘He’s a talented boy. He couldn’t have had a better role model than his father, who is still playing at almost forty. To do that, you have to work on it every day. It’s a great example for all my young players.”
Meanwhile, Ashley and Tyler were interviewed on talkSPORT this week and the 39-year-old outlined what it would mean if they both took the field together.
“I’ve been saying for years that if we could somehow play against each other, it would be the highlight of my career,” he said.
‘It would overshadow everything I’ve done. When the draw was announced, I just couldn’t believe it. I had no words.’
His emotional comments follow his equally proud response following Tyler’s debut last year.
On social media, he shared a series of photos from Tyler’s first professional gig, writing, “Pride doesn’t even begin to explain this moment. Congratulations on your debut son and hopefully many more to come.”