Phil Collins’ son Mathew has shared a rare new photo of the legendary drummer, who turned up to support him at a football game over the weekend. Mathew, 20, plays for Austrian side WSG Tirol and posted a picture to Instagram showing him in his kit next to a smiling Collins in the stands.
Mathew is the son of Collins and Orianne Cevey, a Swiss translator who worked with him during his 1994 tour. His brother, Nicholas, is a professional drummer who has filled in for their dad on tour. The new photo received plenty of love from fans and family, including Mathew’s brother-in-law Charlie McDowell and half-sister Lily Collins, who reshared the post with a white heart emoji.
Phil Collins has previously expressed his support for Mathew’s sporting career, commenting that he loved music but loved football “even more”. The picture was shared months after the former Genesis singer admitted he was “very sick” and felt unmotivated to record any new music, having retired from live performances in 2022.
Collins suffered a spinal injury in 2007 which damaged vertebrae in his upper neck and caused lasting nerve damage. Last year, he opened up about his music career in the documentary Phil Collins: Drummer First, saying: “It’s still kind of sinking in. I’ve spent all my life playing drums. To suddenly not be able to do that is a shock.”
He added: “If I can’t do what I did as well as I did it, I’d rather relax and not do anything. But if I wake up one day and I can hold a pair of drumsticks, then I’ll have a crack at it. But I just feel like I’ve used up my air miles.” Collins made an appearance during the final Genesis tour in 2022, singing and playing tambourine while his son Nic filled in on drums.
