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Pierce Charles surprised his older brother Shea with a birthday cake for his 23rd birthday in an exclusive interview with BBC Sport at their London home. The international footballers, who are enjoying life in the capital, also discussed childhood memories of breaking household items and their video game preferences.
Life in London and shared living
Living together in west London has proved to be a positive experience for the siblings. Pierce is spending the season on loan at Queens Park Rangers from Manchester City, while midfielder Shea joined Fulham from Southampton in a £30m move in August.
As reported by BBC Sport, the brothers grew up in Manchester and came through Manchester City’s academy before taking different paths in their careers. After stints at Sheffield Wednesday and Southampton, summer moves brought them both to west London, allowing them to live together for the third time in their lives.
Visits from older brother Eoin and their parents, Mary and Kelvin, often spark lighthearted debates about household chores and cleanliness. “I think she secretly wants it to be messy, so she can have a little dig at us and do it anyway,” Pierce joked about his mother.
Childhood memories and Olympic ties
Before sitting down for the interview, the brothers engaged in a competitive game of ‘two touch’ in the garden, bringing back memories of playing Wembley as children. Shea recalled being the worst player in the back garden when they were younger, while Pierce and Shea also playfully disputed who was responsible for breaking an old clock and a lamp.
The duo recalled visiting London for the 2012 Olympics when they were eight and nine years old, remembering races outside the London Stadium and meeting Team GB heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson. Fourteen years later, both have played at the venue, with Pierce earning a man of the match award after saving a last-gasp penalty for QPR against West Ham in October.
International ambitions with Northern Ireland
The brothers are key members of Michael O’Neill’s Northern Ireland squad, which currently tops Group B2 in the Nations League without conceding a goal after four matches. Their strong form began in September in Georgia, where Pierce saved a penalty and Shea scored a late winner in added time.
Northern Ireland will face Ukraine in Belfast and play in Hungary as they look to secure top spot in the group. Despite spending a great deal of time together both at club level and on international duty, the brothers insisted they do not get tired of each other’s company.
