Peterborough United's rising star and Ashley Young's son, Tyler Young, made an impressive impact during his debut in the club's 2-0 EFL Trophy victory over Stevenage at the Weston Homes Stadium.
Introduced in the final half-hour, Young caught the eye with a composed and energetic performance, entering the game alongside fellow 18-year-old debutant David Kamara. Kamara, praised for his tireless effort in attack, also earned positive feedback from manager Darren Ferguson.
Young's journey to Peterborough began over the summer after a brief trial at the club, following his release from Arsenal's academy, where he had spent much of his youth career.
While Tyler had been on the bench during Peterborough's recent 3-0 loss to Wigan Athletic in League One, his official first-team debut gave him something to celebrate.
Just a day after their first-team appearances, Young, Kamara, and Ollie Rose were thrust back into action, starting for Peterborough's Under-21 side in a Professional Development League match against Burnley.
Peterborough United's rising star and Ashley Young's son, Tyler Young, made an impressive impact during his debut in the club's 2-0 EFL Trophy victory over Stevenage
Introduced in the final half-hour, Young caught the eye with a composed and energetic performance
Young could find himself in contention for more first-team minutes in Peterborough's upcoming League One clash against Rotherham United, with midfield regulars Jack Collins suspended and Hector Kyprianou sidelined due to injury.
Adding intrigue to the youngster's rise is his footballing lineage—he's the son of Premier League veteran Ashley Young, who has enjoyed a distinguished career with clubs like Manchester United, Aston Villa, and Everton.
Despite his father's 720-game head start, Tyler is beginning to carve out his own path in the football world - claiming he tried to treat his professional debut like any other game.
Speaking after the game on Tuesday night, Tyler said: 'It was quite bad weather today, but I feel like I was just ready to go when the gaffer said just get ready. Even with the delay, I was still ready to go. So, I just dealt with it all.
'But, it was a great experience. I didn't expect to get that long. I was thinking I would maybe get 10-15 minutes on the pitch but when I came on it felt very normal. It was just playing football and doing what I would normally do week-in-week-out.
'Archie Collins and Manny Fernandez talked me through the game which was a big help. They made me feel comfortable and it was good I also had David Kamara and Ollie Rose on the pitch who I play with week in week out and that helped as well.'
Ashley Young took to social media to praise his son for making his debut on Tuesday night
The 18-year-old finished by saying: 'I deal with the pressure by remembering it's just a game of football. The Trophy is a good competition for young players.'
Meanwhile, his father took to social media to share a series of pictures of Tyler's debut with the accompanying caption: 'Proud doesn’t even begin to explain this moment for you. Congrats on your debut Son and hopefully many many more to come'.
Fans have taken to social media to heap praise on Tyler - who was nominated for Tuesday's Man of the Match award given his performance. Some even stated the 18-year-old could be better than his father if he continues to work hard.
One fan wrote: 'You never know, Tyler could end up being better than his dad if he takes his advice and trains hard. Never say never! What a story that would be though...'.
Another added: 'A good performance from Tyler this evening. Good few touches. I am sure there will be more to come from him'.
While one fan said: 'Not a bad start for the youngsters this evening. Looking forward to see what more they can do for us.'