Shevchenko's son drops to seventh tier with Sholing after Chelsea and Tottenham exits

Kristian Shevchenko, the 19-year-old son of AC Milan and Chelsea legend Andriy Shevchenko, has signed for seventh-tier Southern League side Sholing after being released by Watford this summer without making a single first-team appearance for the Championship club.

The winger passed through the youth academies of Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur in 2022 and 2023 before joining Watford, where he signed his first professional contract in 2025. Despite earning 15 caps for Ukraine at youth level — including a place in the squad for the 2025 U20 World Cup — he could not force his way into Watford’s senior setup and was let go during the summer transfer window.

Sholing, who have taken ten points from their opening eight league games and sit 16th in the Southern League, confirmed the signing on social media. “The 19-year-old joins the Boatmen having developed through the youth setups at Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Watford,” the club said. “Kristian also represented Ukraine at the 2025 U20 World Cup, bringing international youth experience to SO19. Welcome to the Boatmen.”

Kristian is set to make his debut in Saturday’s FA Cup third-round qualifier away at Ebbsfleet.

His father Andriy remains one of European football’s most decorated strikers. The Ukrainian won the Ballon d’Or in 2004 and spent eight years across two spells at AC Milan, claiming the Serie A title, the Coppa Italia and the Champions League at the San Siro. He moved to Chelsea in 2006, where his impact was more modest, though he did add a League Cup and FA Cup to his collection before returning to Dynamo Kyiv.

For Kristian, the step down to non-league football represents a significant reset, but at 19 he retains both time and the international pedigree to rebuild his career from Hampshire.