Ballon d'Or winner's son joins non-league side after Chelsea and Tottenham exits

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The Ballon d'Or winner's son will be hoping he can cut his cloth in English football after leaving Chelsea and Tottenham

The son of Ballon d'Or winner Andriy Shevchenko has joined a non-league side after spending time with Premier League clubs Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. 19-year-old Kristian Shevchenko spent time with the London sides in 2022 and 2023, before joining Watford afterwards.

The forward, who has 15 caps for Ukraine at youth level, left the Hornets earlier this summer, but has finally found a new club in non-league side Sholing. The winger has linked up with the seventh-tier Southern League side ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup third-round qualifier at Ebbsfleet.

Sholing have taken ten points from their opening eight league games and find themselves in 16th place.

In a statement released on social media, Sholing said: > "Join us in welcoming our new signing, Kristian Shevchenko! > > "The 19-year-old joins the Boatmen having developed through the youth setups at Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Watford, signing his first professional contract with the Hornets in 2025. > > "Kristian also represented Ukraine at the 2025 U20 World Cup, bringing international youth experience to SO19. Welcome to the Boatmen."

Kristian's father, Andriy, won the Ballon d'Or in 2004 and had a glittering career across European football. He's a cult hero at AC Milan and played for Chelsea and Dynamo Kyiv.

During his time in Italy, Shevchenko won the Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League titles in an eight-year stint at the San Siro, split across two spells.

He moved to Stamford Bridge in 2006 but couldn't quite reach the lofty heights he'd shown in Italy, though he still managed to win the League Cup and FA Cup.

Kristian's career may not have gotten off to the start to suggest he'll go on to mimic his famous father, but he'll be hoping the move to Sholing can kick-start his career in English football.

The youngster has been a regular for Ukraine's U20s side, but didn't manage a single first-team appearance for Watford after signing a professional contract with the club in 2025.

He was released by the Championship outfit during the summer and has finally found a new home in Hampshire.

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