Close friends Luke Shaw and Cameron McGeehan were more accustomed to playing alongside each other as youngsters for Molesey Juniors.

But tonight they will come face-to-face in the FA Cup fourth round when England international Shaw’s Manchester United take on Kingston-born McGeehan’s Cambridge United at Abbey Road.

They will only line-up against each other because 19-year-old McGeehan agreed a month-long loan with the League Two outfit from parent club Norwich City last week.

The pair, pictured right, starred for Molesey Juniors U8 before going their separate ways with Shaw heading to Chelsea and then Southampton, and McGeechan to Fulham and then the Canaries – via Chelsea.

But they and their families have remained firm friends ever since they won five successive tournaments and the Guildford & Shere League in a memorable 2003.

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Molesey Juniors are no strangers to producing professional footballers with Wycombe Wanderers Max Kretzschmar and Fulham’s Patrick Roberts both having spent their formative years in Molesey colours.

“All you want from your children is for them to firstly be healthy and, secondly, to fulfil their dreams whatever they may be,” said Cameron’s dad Kevin, a 55-year-old publisher who will be at Abbey stadium cheering on his son.

“When they were younger there wasn’t much between them. They were two different players. One was a left winger the other centre forward. I think Cameron scored 40 goals in a season as a striker.

“The team was unbeaten that year. They won everything and there were scouts coming down from all over the place to watch them. They were terrific together.

“Luke’s rise has been meteoric, while Cameron’s is taking a little longer. People ask him if that bothers him, but I think he uses it as inspiration to keep working hard.

“He knows if his mate can get there, then there is no reason he cannot. It just takes hard work and one or two lucky breaks.”

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McGeehan started his career at Fulham, but was bought by Chelsea for £80,000 as a 10-year-old, only to be released six years later.

The Tiffin School student, who has four A and four A* grades at GCSE had the last laugh as he captained Norwich City to their first FA Youth Cup for 30 years in 2013, scoring two penalties in a 4-2 aggregate triumph over former club Chelsea.

He scored two goals on his Cambridge debut on Saturday to give his new side a 4-0 triumph over League Two play-off chasers Newport County.

Shaw signed for Manchester United last year for a reported £31.5m making him the country’s most expensive teenage footballer.

“I grew up with Luke,” he told the Cambridge News.

“When I was under six, we played for the same team together, Molesey Juniors, which is where we’re from, and our dads are best friends, so we’ve kept in contact and it’s going to be really interesting to play against him.

“I’ve played with Paddy McNair a lot for Northern Ireland U21s, so he’s a close friend as well, but with Man United on the horizon, it’s an amazing thing to be part of.”