'I'm an Arsenal cult hero – my son now plays for Chelsea and this is how I feel about it' - The Mirror

A former fan favourite at Arsenal wants his son to remain a Blue, despite his own allegiances to the north London club

Emmanuel Eboue's deep-rooted connection with Arsenal hasn't influenced his aspirations for his son's football career. The ex-Ivory Coast international dedicated seven years of his professional life to the Gunners, clocking up 214 appearances and featuring in the Champions League final loss to Barcelona in 2006.

Despite leaving the club 15 years ago, Eboue's loyalty remains firmly in north London. However, his son, Mathis, is currently playing for Arsenal's fierce rivals Chelsea. The 16-year-old joined the Blues last year and is part of Chelsea's U18 squad, having previously been enrolled in Arsenal's Hale End academy.

Unlike his father, who was a defender, Mathis is an attacking midfielder and represents England at the international level. He made his debut for the country's U17 team last September. Speaking to Ladbrokes at the launch of Ladisfaction, the former Arsenal star shared his thoughts on his son's burgeoning career.

Eboue said: "I'm very, very proud of Mathis, and very happy for him. When he was very young, I didn't really think my boy would go on and be such a good player, to be honest.

"You know, he used to play a lot with me at home, because he loved football. I'm very proud of him for getting to where he is today." Chelsea have been remarkably active in the transfer market under Todd Boehly's ownership, with the club splashing out more than £1billion since the American took charge in 2022.

Despite their constant transfer dealings, Eboue hopes his son will stay put at Stamford Bridge and even suggested a first-team debut could be just around the corner. He continued: "I always pray for him, and I hope he achieves his dream.

"It doesn't matter, for me, that he's doing this in a Chelsea shirt, and I'm an ex-Arsenal player. When he was younger he was playing for Watford and doing really well there, and then one day he told me that Chelsea wanted to sign him.

"For me, at 16, nearly 17, I think I would want to stay at the club, because you can see how much they like to use their younger players – so for him, I think it's better to stay at Chelsea, because when he turns 17 very soon, they're going to look to use him – maybe next season."

Mathis can represent England, Ivory Coast and Belgium, with the latter an option through his Belgian mother. Eboue believes it's positive that his son has choices regarding his international future.

"I said it was completely up to him what he wanted to do, and like I said I'm just really happy with how things are going for him," he added. "I watch him as much as I can. I want him to be the best, of course. But to be better than me? I don't know! He's doing very well.

"I can remember a couple of years ago when he was playing for the national team – the [England] under-15s played against the Ivory Coast, and afterwards the president of the Federation called me to tell me he'd seen my son, and thought he was very, very good.

"I was so happy to hear that, and the good thing he's got is that he's still able to play for England, Ivory Coast and Belgium, so he has a lot of options there later on in his career."

Eboue and his son are likely to be glued to their screens when Chelsea take on Arsenal in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final clash tonight at 8pm.

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