Phil Collins Cheers Up Public Appearance With Son After Health Struggles

Phil Collins was seen in a heartwarming family picture alongside his 20-year-old soccer prodigy son while dealing with continuing issues health issues.

The renowned Genesis lyricist and percussionist, aged 74, stepped away from music quite some time back following a tough struggle with significant nerve issues and deteriorating mobility.

Since 2019, he hasn’t been able to play his drums, and in 2022, he decided to end his music career, opting instead to focus on his well-being and spending more time with his loved ones.

A portion of that valuable family time included the "In the Air Tonight" vocalist attending his soccer player son Mathew's match over the past weekend.

Mathew, 20, who Phil shares with ex-wife Orianne Cevey , plays for WSG Tirol II, which is the youth academy team of Austrian club WSG Tirol.

In a lovely photo, Mathew posed with dad Phil in the stands of the club’s stadium, with the younger Collins family member still dressed in his football kit.

Phil, Dad chose a cozy fleece-lined jacket with simple black pants, beaming with pride as he cheered on his son at WSG Tirol II’s 2-1 victory against their league opponents, FC Fugen.

The caption stated, 'Two major victories today!', with Mathew viewing Phil's attendance at the match as a significant win against his famous father's ongoing health struggles.

Charlie McDowell — husband to Lily Collins, who is Phil’s daughter, and offspring of actor Malcolm McDowell — expressed his admiration by saying 'I absolutely adore this,' and sent affectionate wishes to both his brother-in-law and father-in-law.

Lily, who stars in "Emily in Paris" and hails from Surrey, also chimed in, stating, "I love everything about this," extending her congrats to Mathew on his significant victory.

Mathew’s brother Nicholas followed his father’s footsteps a little more closely by becoming a drummer, eventually playing for Genesis during some live shows.

However, Phil himself is a fan of Tottenham Hotspur and has been following football for some time – he has also made supportive comments about Mathew’s career in the past.

A few years back, he stated: “Matt has a passion for music, yet his love for football runs deeper. He firmly believes he will go pro.”

Mathew started his junior career with Astoria Walldorf’s under-19 squad prior to moving to Hanover 96, which now competes in Germany's second tier.

In 2023, he inked a deal with WSG Tirol and was transferred into their academy system to nurture his talent, aiming for an eventual spot on the main squad.

The match on Sunday had an attendance of merely 200 spectators, including Phil, and resulted in WSG Tirol II maintaining their position in third place within their league as the season draws to a close.

WSG Tirol II presently compete in the Regionalliga Tirol, which stands as the fourth division within Austrian football.

Mathew has netted two goals for his team throughout this campaign, with his latest one scoring happening in October 2024.

Regarding Mathew’s father, Manuel Ludwiger, who manages WSG Tirol II, commented, 'When evaluating players for trials, we look into their previous career history. That's when we discovered that Matthew is actually Phil Collins' son.'

‘We haven’t signed him as a publicity stunt. It is purely down to his footballing ability.’

What was the reason for Phil Collins' retirement from music?

Following his recovery from hearing loss in the early 2000s, Phil resumed his career by releasing two additional solo records: "Testify" in 2002 and "Going Back" in 2010, along with a live Genesis album in 2007.

In 2009, though, Phil faced an issue with his neck that had bothered him for quite a while; unfortunately, this led to him losing sensation in his fingertips, making it possible for him to drum solely when the sticks were fixed to his hands.

In 2014, he revealed that an undiagnosed nerve problem had been causing the issues and underwent further operations in 2015 – sadly the procedure still didn’t reverse his issues.

In June 2017, all performances had to be called off following an incident where Phil fell in his hotel room due to a previously undisclosed foot condition. This issue was traced back to complications from surgery he underwent in 2015.

At that point, he began to use a cane to walk and stayed seated during Genesis shows, eventually retiring from performing a few years later.

Got a story?

If you have a celebrity story, video, or photos, feel free to reach out to us. .co.uk For assistance from our entertainment team, you can email us at celebtips@.co.uk, call 020 3615 2145, or stop by for a visit. Submit Stuff Page – we would be delighted to receive your feedback.