Brothers Pierce and Shea Charles are living in London for the first time, with Pierce waiting in the kitchen for Shea to enter with a cake to surprise him. It was Shea's 23rd birthday celebration, and Pierce sang 'Happy Birthday' on camera. The pair were born and raised in Manchester and went through the Manchester City academy.
Pierce is on loan at Queens Park Rangers from Manchester City this season, while Shea moved from Southampton to Fulham in August for £30 million. This made Shea the first Northern Irish footballer worth £30 million. Both are based in west London, and their older brother Eoin, along with parents Mary and Kelvin, visit them frequently. Mary was born in Northern Ireland.
The brothers are together for the third time in their lives, and the first time since moving to London. In conversation, they recalled their childhood and breaking lamps while playing football. Shea admitted to breaking a clock, but not a lamp, while Pierce claimed Shea was the worst of the three in the yard. 'The order was me, then Eoin, then Shea,' Pierce said. Shea, however, remembered playing 'Wembley' and how he would always win, with the loser going on goal. They often play the game 'two touches' in the garden, where the best of three quickly becomes the best of five, followed by a rematch.
Since moving to the capital, they have not yet visited London's tourist attractions. A trip to Thorpe Park, near the city, is planned. Their first memories of London are linked to visits to relatives, and they also went to Wembley to watch Manchester City, their childhood club. The 2012 London Olympics stand out particularly, when they were eight and nine years old. They remember meeting British heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson and the races in front of the Olympic Stadium. Shea recalled small events like the 50 metres and winning his race.
Both played at the London Stadium this season. When QPR visited West Ham in October, Pierce saved a penalty from Jarrod Bowen in the final moments of the match. The man of the match trophy from that game is displayed in their home. Shea said the London Stadium looks very different from what he remembers, and Pierce added that they are playing in it 14 years later. The Charles brothers are just two players in the young and exciting Northern Ireland national team.
