Chelsea sign 15-year-old son of Arsenal cult hero with teenager playing at age groups well above his own

2 weeks ago 10

CHELSEA have landed one of the country’s top 15-year-olds.

And if he goes on to emulate his dad – a true cult hero for Arsenal – then luring him from Watford will have been worth it.

Mathis Eboue joins Chelsea after a rapid rise at Watford[/caption]

Dad Emmanuel Eboue, bottom left, was with Arsenal for seven years[/caption]

Mathis Eboue, an attacking midfielder, shone for the Hornets all the way up to under-21 level.

And his move across London is another example of how Chelsea are looking to recruit so many of the nation’s leading starlets for their academy.

Eboue Junior has also played three times of England U-16s.

In fact, he hit the only goal as the Lion cubs beat France to win the U16 Challenge Trophy in Spain two months ago.

But of course whatever he’s achieved at such a young age can’t compare with what his father did over a 15-year career.

Emmanuel Eboue, now 41, earned 79 caps for Ivory Coast, mainly at right-back.

But his peak fame came with Arsenal from 2004-2011.

Legendary then-boss Arsene Wenger recruited the pacy ace from Belgians Bevern.

And although Eboue took two seasons to become something like a regular, his bubbly nature and bursting runs made him a talk of the terraces.

However, at one stage he was booed by Gunners’ supporters.

And just last month he recalled: “I got back home and I was crying.

“But the same week some of the fans came to the club to say sorry to me about that. That was very nice. It meant a lot.

“‘Eboue, don’t listen,’ they said. ‘You know we love you’.”

He finally left Arsenal – accompanied by a runners-up medal in the Champions League and two in the League Cup – for four years at Galatasaray.

Then came an ill-fated short spell with Sunderland.

Eboue Senior was banned for a year in 2016 after refusing to pay an agent, leading to the “lowest time” of his playing days.

But eight years on from that, he surely can’t help but be cheered by his son’s big step-up.

The Premier League applied their rigorous process to protect players so young before Eboue Junior’s switch to Chelsea could go through.

Compensation to Watford also had to be agreed.

But on Friday night transfer guru Fabrizio Romano insisted all the paperwork had been done to make it a “completed deal”.