Exclusive By Harry Pratt HAVING followed in the footsteps of his famous cousin George Weah for almost a decade, Christopher Wreh is finally turning the tables on the great man from AC Milan. Next weekend, Weah will be the one doing the watching as his Liberian relative and his Arsenal team-mates meet Newcastle United in the FA Cup Final. With Arsene Wenger's attacking options limited by injuries, Wreh is poised to become the first player from his country to turn out at Wembley. It will be a proud moment for the small African nation and one Weah, who inspired Wreh to try his luck in Europe, doesn't intend to miss. The former World and European Player of the Year said: "Am I coming to Wembley? I don't see why not. After all, it should be a special day for Arsenal and Chris. I'm very happy for him and I'd like to be there. He is the latest role model for the country's youngsters, an example of what can be achieved with commitment and enthusiasm. Wreh was only 15 when he fled a civil war to join Wenger's Monaco on the recommendation of Weah, then a rising star in the south of the France. Eight years later, having had several Premiership clubs reject him the previous season, he was reunited with the French coach at a modest cost of £300,000. Liberia to north London is one heck of a trek in anyone's language. No wonder that the 23-year-old is already assured of a hero's welcome when he goes home this summer. But he recalls: "I had to give money to some soldiers just to get on the plane and out of the country. It was a worrying time and I felt guilty leaving my family behind. I was alone and very young, but that made me more determined to succeed. "Me being a Championship winner will make the people proud. I'm doing this for them. The President will watch the Final live if he thinks I'm going to play. I want to send him a photo of me holding the Premiership trophy in one hand and the FA Cup in the other." It's all a far cry from his early days at Highbury. Not in first-team contention, Wreh made little impact in the reserves - and a red card around Christmas suggested he might never settle. But once his opportunity arrived, he demonstrated that he shared his cousin's eye for goal. Four critical strikes in March and April, including the FA Cup semi-final winner against Wolves, kept Arsenal's Double challenge ticking over, even though Dennis Bergkamp and Ian Wright weren't in the side. England star Wright has been another key figure in Wreh's dramatic emergence. "Ian is something of a role model for me," he says. "In a way he is like my older brother and in Africa your older brother is a guiding light. Ironically, Wreh's development means Milan star Weah is no longer a £10m Arsenal transfer target. He can only admire the way Wreh has persevered. "There was a time this season when he wasn't getting too many chances at Arsenal and we were a bit worried," he admitted. "Chris has been patient, worked hard and it's paying off. I play alongside him for Liberia and he has fantastic pace and great awareness. He's one of the new breed who are the future for Liberia." And for Arsenal, too!

GOLDEN BOOT SHARED Dublin, Owen, Sutton Hit 18   ANDY COLE finished the season as the highest goalscorer in all competitions among top-flight players but the Golden Boot honours for the highest Premiership marksman are shared between Dion Dublin, Chris Sutton and Michael Owen. All three finished with 18 league goals, three ahead of Cole: 18 Dion Dublin (Coventry) 18 Michael Owen (Liverpool) 18 Chris Sutton (Blackburn) 16 Dennis Bergkamp (Arsenal) 16 Kevin Gallacher (Blackburn) 16 Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (Leeds) 15 Andy Cole (Manchester Utd) 15 John Hartson (West Ham) For Dublin, a 50-1 shot back in August, his last-day goal at Goodison Park completes a season that has taken him from relative obscurity to international recognition. He is on the brink of a World Cup place as a forward, yet has often played at centre-half. Those defensive skills add to the package he can offer Glenn Hoddle, and might just tip the balance in persuading the England boss he would be an ideal squad member, as cover at both ends of the pitch. For Sutton, an England outcast after his refusal to play for the B team against Chile, his achievement shows that he no longer lives in anyone's shadow at Ewood Park. After being a successful junior partner to Alan Shearer when he won the Golden Boot and Rovers took the title in 1995, Sutton's career has stuttered. Even if he doesn't go to France, as seems likely, he knows his goals have taken his team into Europe, the last-day strike against Newcastle giving them a UEFA Cup place. Yet while Owen is left reflecting on that missed penalty against Arsenal in midweek, which would have made him the outright winner, his is perhaps the most remarkable achievement. At 18 years and five months, he is the youngest winner since the 1950s. Jimmy Greaves was previously both the second youngest (21 years and two months in 1961) and the youngest (19 years and two months in 1959) in the last 40 years. Owen, who only made his league debut in the penultimate match of last season, adds this honour to that of becoming England's youngest international this century. All three, though, share the distinction of having the lowest total for a top scorer with J Settle of Everton, all the way back in 1902 when there were four fewer games in a league season. Overall 1998 Top Flight Scorers Table Lge Cup Cup Euro Total Cole 15 5 0 5 25 Hartson 15 3 6 0 24 Dublin 18 4 1 0 23 Owen 18 0 4 1 23 Bergkamp 16 3 2 1 22 Hasselbaink 16 4 2 0 22 Sutton 18 2 1 0 21 Gallacher 16 3 1 0 20

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