The story behind viral Charlton academy photo from the late 2000s is genuinely unbelievable

An old picture that was taken after a late-2000s friendly between Charlton Athletic's youth team and Manhattan Kickers, a New York-based soccer school, has resurfaced online – and for good reason.

Back in February last year, Evan Rosenthal, who is the president of Manhattan Kickers, posted two pictures of Timothee Chalamet on the club's social media channels.

One of them was a snap of him winning the Screen Actors' Guild Award for best male actor in a leading role following his portrayal of a young Bob Dylan in the film A Complete Unknown.

The other was taken around 15 years ago, when Chalamet posed for a picture alongside future Premier League and Champions League winner Joe Gomez and his then-Charlton teammate, Brandon Scott.

That viral picture from a friendly between Charlton and the Kickers turned into one of the most random crossovers of all time, with Gomez going on to play for Liverpool and England.

Scott, meanwhile, went on to become a well-known rapper who performs under the name Swarmz. He also turned his hand to boxing in 2022 and faced off against YouTube personality KSI at the O2 Arena in London.

“Joe’s academy team was a particularly good one,” Dave Chatwin, who was a lead youth development phase coach at Charlton, told The Athletic in February. “So I wouldn’t be surprised if we put them to the sword."

Joe Gomez, Swarmz and Timothee Chalamet pose for a picture after a friendly between Charlton and Manhattan Kickers.

Former Kickers player Chalamet has since become one of the most prominent actors of his generation, starring in films such as Interstellar, Call Me By Your Name and Dune, as well as Wonka.

Timothy Chalamet's dream was to become a professional footballer

Despite his success in the acting industry, Chalamet has consistently recalled his ambition to become a footballer.

Asked by Verge what his original goal in life was, the 30-year-old said: "To become a soccer player. I am French, after all."

He continued: "Growing up, I split my time between New York and a tiny village about two hours from Leon. In the US, we baby our young kids, but the French culture does not value youth. So soccer was what there was to do."

Timothee Chalamet is big football fan. Here he is attending a game between Roma and Genoa. Image credit: Getty

So, was he actually any good? Dorian Wirz, who played with Saint-Etienne fan Chalamet at Manhattan Kickers, says he was technically sound.

“As a player, he was slower to develop physically, but was tricky on the ball and good with his feet," Wirz told The Athletic.

"But the goals got bigger before he did, so he moved to playing outfield — left midfield, I think. His dad (Marc) was much more soccer-focused, and his mom (Nicole) was much more acting-focused, so his dad was the one who really took him to games and was invested.”