Ashley Young and son Tyler engage in FA Cup bragging rights trashtalking and mind games

Ashley Young and son Tyler have teamed up ahead of their potential FA Cup third round meeting with family bragging rights.

The Everton defender could meet his 18-year-old son at Goodison Park on Thursday night – live on talkSPORT.

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Young Sr’s side have been drawn at home to League One side Peterborough, who Tyler joined last summer from QPR.

The teenage midfielder has made one first-team appearance for Posh so far this term – an EFL Trophy outing against Stevenage in October.

Another appearance for the club on Thursday would likely see him face his father.

But the question is, who will Young’s wife Nicky support as father and son face off for a place in the fourth round?

In a joint interview filled with trash talking and mind games, Young Sr was asked who his partner and the rest of the family will be rooting for.

He told talkSPORT: “Let’s put it this way… they don’t have Everton shirts so they’ve all gone and leaned towards Tyler’s side.

“I even think my own parents are actually leaning on Tyler’s side as well. So I’m just out here cheering myself on.”

The former Manchester United star added: “I’m just a lone wolf, that’s just me. But I get it.

“I understand that, but after the game they will be back on my side when we win. So it’s okay.”

Young has made 18 appearances for the Toffees so far this season since extending his contract in the summer.

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In those games, he has scored once and provided three assists to his teammates.

The former England international has already lifted the FA Cup in his career, winning the competition with Manchester United in 2016.

But the chance to meet his son would eclipse all the trophies from his career, Young admits.

Reflecting on watching the draw last month, he explained: “I saw we had been drawn against Peterborough and as I’ve been saying for years, if there was any way we could play against each other or play with each other, would it be the pinnacle of my career It would eclipse everything I’ve done.

“So when it finally got pulled, I was sitting next to my wife and I was like I’d been pulled towards Tyler and she was like, ‘Nah no way,’ and I was like, ‘Seriously,’ and then we were there to see it.

“So she called him, tried to FaceTime him. Tyler is Tyler, any 18-year-old, ‘Did you see the draw?’ ‘No, I just got out of the shower.’

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“Obviously he didn’t even know the FA Cup draw was on. You know as soon as I saw it, I’m not usually one for words and for me I was just speechless.

“I told my wife and told my daughters I just couldn’t believe it, like I just couldn’t believe it.

“Tyler was getting ready for a match the next day, he couldn’t believe it after apparently seeing me say we were drawn to each other.”

For Tyler, he’s relishing the prospect of facing his old man, insisting a fourth-round spot at his father’s expense would be even sweeter.

Commenting on the opportunity to meet his ex-Watford player father, Tyler noted: “It means a lot, even playing against my dad, but even playing in the FA Cup, which has so much history.

“Just playing in the competition I’ve seen since I was younger would mean a lot, it’ll be even better that I’m playing against my dad.

“Anything can happen in the FA Cup so if we come out with a good win it will mean even more because I would have just beaten my dad – and we have just won the FA Cup.”

His belief in himself prompted a reaction from Young Sr, who said: “I like it (son’s attitude). I like the confidence, I’m not going to lie.

“And I hope it continues, but he’s got to back himself, that’s the thing.”

To which Tyler replied, “I’m backing myself to do whatever I’m thrown at.”

Ashley then reminded Tyler that if they wanted to hit the court against each other, he would see him as a rival player – insisting that family ties would go out the window.

He sent the teenager a warning, stating: “Anything can happen in the FA Cup, I know it’s a big thing – father against son – but on the day he’s an opponent and I want to win.

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“In our household, it’s just what we are, there’s so much competitiveness that it’s like blood and thunder when it comes to winning games.

“This is nothing else, this is a game where of course I want him to do well because I know the talent he has and I know what he can do on the football pitch.

“But as long as he does well, we win the game, we get through, that’s all that matters.”

Tyler was then quick to suggest that all the pressure is on his dad to deliver, saying he could hold one over him forever if he contributes to an FA Cup giant-killing.

In match talk, he said: “Everton are a lot higher than Peterborough and my dad is in the team too.

“I don’t think he could live it down if I hit him.”

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Already looking forward to the future, Tyler plans to show his father respect by disrespecting him on the court, determined to not only live up to his father’s name, but to surpass it.

Recalling what it was like watching his dad in action, he said: “It was always exciting memories because he was a winger, I always saw him scoring goals.

“Obviously he went to be a defender but it was still alright when he came up but when I saw him I thought, ‘That’s what I want to do.’ I want to get to that level, I want to win trophies, I want to score goals.’

“I just want to show that I also have a love for the game and it’s not just because my dad plays football that I want to play football, it’s that I want to play football.

“I want to do more than what my father has done. I want to be better than him.”

Whether or not Tyler will face his father remains to be seen, but one thing that is clear is that the youngster will soon step out of his father’s shadow.

Listen to the full interview on talkSPORT’s breakfast show from 8.00 on January 9 or look at our YouTube channel