WATFORD youngster Henry Wise made his debut in the FA Cup on Thursday night – 20 years after he helped dad Dennis lift the trophy with Chelsea.
The Hornets starlet, born in January 2000, was only a few months old when paraded on the Wembley pitch.
Wise lifts the Cup in 2020 with baby Henry in his armsCredit: Getty – Contributor
Young Henry, pictured with dad Dennis and George Weah with the trophyCredit: PA:Press Association
How the 20-year-old midfielder looks nowCredit: Reuters
After Dennis Wise captained Chelsea to a 1-0 victory over Aston Villa in the final, he held the tot in his arms while collecting the trophy from the Royal Box.
And Henry joined in the lap of honour while donning a Blues kit.
But it is with Watford where he is making his first strides in the professional game.
Youth spells with QPR, Arsenal and Derby led him to Vicarage Road last year before his debut in the very competition he ascended the Wembley steps to help collect all those years ago.
Given Watford’s manic fixture list, placing the third round replay at Tranmere in between two spells of only 48 hours’ rest – were they to go through – Nigel Pearson made several changes.
With the game heading to extra-time, Wise was brought on after 105 minutes for Domingos Quina.
He wasn’t able to prevent the Premier League side’s upset at the hands of Tranmere but the moment was a nice circumstance of history nonetheless.
Dennis, 53, retired in 2006 after a career that held great affinity for the FA Cup.
Winning the competition withWimbledon’s Crazy Gang in 1988 and twice as a player with Chelsea, the ex-midfielder also led unfancied Millwall to the 2004 final as player-manager – even beating Tranmere in the quarter-finals via a replay.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
