Josh King OH receives Premier League call up for Fulham
By Harry McLusky and Omer Demiral
Old Hamptonian (2023), Joshua King, has been called up to Marco Silva’s Fulham squad for their Premier League fixture against Burnley.
King, who turned 17 last month, spoke to the HSC last year, stating that he was “hoping for some chances with the Fulham U21s next year and sometimes during preseason you can even get chucked up into the first team.”
King received his call up to Fulham’s U21 side last October. On his debut, King netted a goal with a brilliant low-drilled strike into the bottom corner, contributing to the team’s 4-0 victory over Leicester, and also exemplifying his ability to stand out even whilst playing in higher age groups.
Clearly, his performances so far this season have caught the eye of Portuguese manager, Silva, with King signing his professional contract with Fulham on 16 January 2024.
King, who plays as a dynamic midfielder, has also shone on the international stage, captaining England at Under-16s level.
In a Hampton shirt, King’s career was certainly memorable for all Hamptonians. Having first caught the eye of the Hampton masses in the ISFA semi-final against Royal Russell, King’s highlight at the school was undeniably his performance in the English Schools’ Football Association cup final in 2023 at the Stoke City Stadium. Within two minutes of being introduced, King latched onto a loose ball just inside the box, effortlessly gliding past two defenders and perfectly slotting the ball past the goalkeeper to double Hampton’s lead.
Having left Hampton at the end of last year, King described his special goal in the ESFA final as “the best way possible to end my career at Hampton,” going on to say that “it felt so good lifting that trophy.”
King’s agility and flair are just some of the traits Fulham fans can expect to see if he is given his debut in today’s fixture.
Fulham are certainly no strangers to giving debuts to young players, previously holding the record for the youngest appearance in the Premier League, after Harvey Elliot (now at Liverpool) was introduced at just 16 years and 30 days old.
King will sit alongside household names in the Fulham dugout today, including Armando Broja, who recently signed on loan from Chelsea and Tom Cairney, who has made 311 appearances for the Cottagers.
Compared to Andrea Pirlo by some Hamptonians, no one can deny that Joshua King’s footballing future is very bright. Whether it be for Hampton, Fulham or England, his skillset is one that very few can replicate, and he undoubtedly has the work rate to achieve the dream of Premier League football. No matter the outcome of today’s fixture, his career is already one that so many Hamptonians will look up to and we wish him the best of luck in his future ventures.
