Ashley Young's verdict as son Tyler is denied chance to play against him in FA Cup

Former Aston Villa favourite Ashley Young was left 'gutted' after missing the opportunity to play against his 18 year old son, Tyler, in the FA Cup. Young Jr is a player for League One side Peterborough, who were set to face Everton at Goodison Park on Thursday.

The build-up to the third-round tie was dominated by the father-son dynamic until Everton sacked manager Sean Dyche just over three hours before kick-off. The match remained 1-0 until the 98th minute when Everton striker Beto netted his second goal of the night.

However, Posh boss Darren Ferguson, son of legendary ex-Manchester United manager Sir Alex, chose not to bring Tyler on as one of his changes, sparking backlash from football fans.

Now, 39 year old dad, Ashley, has voiced his disappointment, posting on social media platform X: "GUTTED......" His post received mixed reactions, with one fan commenting: "That match wasn't a family meeting, you'll play together at home."

Another argued: "Disgraceful from the manager. Tyler should have come on the pitch.", reports the Mirror.

Post-match, Ferguson addressed the situation, revealing that an Everton player 'had a pop at him' for not bringing Tyler on. "It was very difficult to leave Tyler on the bench but I've got to do what I think is best for the team," explained the Peterborough boss.

Darren Ferguson was unequivocally focused on securing the best for his team, admitting the tactical reasons behind his substitutions. He highlighted: "As much as I wanted Tyler to get on, if the game had been 2-0 at that point I would've put him on, but at 1-0, I had to get a forward on. I've got to try and get something out of the game and do what is best for my team. One of their players had a pop at me which was bang out of order. We are not a charity case."

Meanwhile, Young Sr didn't start the cup tie, though caretaker managers Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman brought him onto the pitch after 73 minutes. Former United player Young had previously expressed to talkSPORT, before the anticipated matchup, that facing his son would be an unrivalled highlight: "I've said for years that if there was any way we could play against each other, it would be the pinnacle of my career," he exclaimed.

"It would eclipse anything I've done. When the draw came out, I just couldn't believe it. I had no words."