The date was the 22nd of December 2024. Fulham were hosting Southampton at Craven Cottage and battled it for a fairly dismal 0-0 draw which most Premier League fans were happy to quickly forget. But to Fulham fans, although a draw against one of the worst sides in Premier League history was nothing to be thrilled with, there was an inescapable feeling of excitement drifting out of the stadium after the final whistle was blown.

For this was the game in which they were fully introduced to their academy starlet, Joshua King.

I can only assume that I wasn’t the only football fan who saw Josh King on the Fulham teamsheet and wondered when on earth they’d signed the former Bournemouth and Everton number 9. Quickly, I became aware of the fact that this wasn’t the same Josh King who enjoyed a whole host of spells with the Premier League’s mid-table stalwarts. This was a 17 year old, baby-faced attacking midfielder who looked closer to 14 than he did to his actual age. This was a player who had been starring for years in Fulham’s academy in England’s youth set-ups. This was someone who’d be impacting games in the Premier League week in, week out in only 8 months time.

King went on to play 62 minutes in his first ever start for his boyhood club, notching up an impressive performance which contained 2 chances created, 7/12 duels won and 2/4 dribbles completed. For the rest of the season, the Fulham number 24 featured predominantly off the bench for Marco Silva’s side as he balanced sporadic minutes in senior football with more regular playing time in the under 21s. However, since the beginning of this season, it looks like Josh has ditched academy football for good and has become an integral part of this Fulham side and Marco Silva’s plans going forward.

Josh King has started every game of the new Premier League season. If that doesn’t tell you how much Silva likes him, also bear in mind that he’s keeping former Arsenal starboy Smith-Rowe and £50million Brazilian dynamite Kevin out in the process. So why has Silva taken such a liking to the teenager and why are so many fans so excited by his performances so far this campaign?

Josh King runs.

A lot.

In possession, King is more than happy to constantly dart in behind and try stretch the opposition backline. It’s extremely rare to see a player at 18 have such a willingness to make off-ball runs with so much purpose and off the ball, he’s also happy to press like a madman. Typically forming a front two with Jimenez or Muniz, King will normally be seen leading the press, chasing down loose balls and just being a thorn in the opponents’ backside for as long as he’s on the pitch. Marco Silva’s teams are often filled with athletes who can cover large amounts of ground during games. At 18, King has shown he’s more than capable of doing just that.

But there’s more to football than just running. And Josh King has a lot more in his locker than just running. We constantly hear that the Premier League is becoming more and more physical. Leeds have signed 6 ft 4 giants, target men are dominating the country once again, everyone’s talking about set pieces and long throws. Josh King is 5ft 8 according to Fotmob and yet he’s still proving to be a star in the middle of the pitch. His agility and low centre of gravity stand out whenever he touches the ball. Constantly weaving through challenges and using his dominative figure to almost duck under defenders. It’s reminiscent of Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye with the way he slaloms with the ball at his feet, feinting left and right, dropping the shoulder to evade his man and using his blistering acceleration to leave his opponents in the dust. King also has the technical ability to deal with the ball in tight spaces. His first touch is often always a good one and again, his short stature allows him consistently wriggle out of these tight spaces whilst the combination of close control, acceleration and strength make him a very good ball-carrier when he has space to run into.

*Image of Everton’s Ndiaye via @nicogrounds on X*

The 2007 born attacker is always playing with his head up, looking to bring his teammates into play wherever possible. His decision-making is mature, way above his years and he has the vision to execute well-timed through balls to the other Fulham forwards. He doesn’t take unnecessary risks in possession by biting off more than he can chew and trying to beat 3 players, something synonymous with young attackers. Instead, he picks and chooses his moments of when to dribble and when to pass. His dribble completion rate is nearly 60%, putting him in the top 20% of forwards for that metric and his pass completion of 81.1% is also in the 80th percentile.

A deceptively strong character, something which is pivotal for playing at the highest level, King plays with an intensity and personality to his game that is admirable. He is always showing for the ball and receiving it in a multitude of positions: off the left, in the half space or even helping Fulham progress the ball forward by dropping deeper to collect it. He doesn’t hide, he doesn’t shy away from physical contact, he embraces it all. Despite his size, King is in the top 20% of Premier League attackers for duels won this season with 53.2% and is in the top 2% for tackles won in the middle third. Being able to compete with such ferocity and intent at such a tender age is rare and shows why Silva has so much faith in the young man.

Also a threat in and around the box, King is taking nearly 2 shots a game with around 1 being on target. It’s nothing crazy, but it shows a player with the confidence and ability to get shots off at the highest level and test the goalkeeper.

Now we can’t act like King is already the finished article, far from it. There are some areas of his game that obviously will need work, considering he’s only recently turned 18. The glaring hole right now is in his output. King is yet to score or assist yet in 7 starts for Fulham this season and in fact, he’s yet to notch up a goal contribution at the senior level. He has taken a decent amount of shots (10) but has only accumulated an xG of 0.73 all together. That’s an xG of 0.073 per shot which doesn’t paint the prettiest picture at all. The teenager needs to work on his ability to arrive in the box and turn scoring opportunities into full-fledged chances. This is something I believe will come with time as King showed the ability to score and assist at a consistent level both for Fulham’s academy and in the England youth ranks and it’s hardly a cause for concern right now given his inexperience.

Although King has the ability to play defence-splitting passes, they are often over or underhit, sometimes under little pressure from opponents. His composure in the final third is probably the rawest part of his game and something that will need to improve if he’s going to reach the lofty heights that many are now expecting of him, but he’s shown nothing to suggest that this won’t get better with the more minutes he notches under his belt.

There’s also the fact that he often drifts out of games, particularly in the second half. When Fulham are under pressure, King won’t be seen for 10-20 minutes. That’s not to say he’s hiding from the ball, I think more he doesn’t have the nous or authority to really impose himself on matches yet.

In the future I’d also like to see the number 24 receiving the ball on the half turn a bit more to instantly put pressure on his opponents. It’s a sacred skill that any attacking midfielder needs to have in his locker and it’s something that will unlock a new dimension to his game. Not to say he can’t do it, just that I’m yet to see it done consistently just yet.

No player, bar a very select few, are complete at the age of 18 and so it’s only natural that he will have weaknesses. The fact he’s starting week in, week out in the Premier League is already testament to his unnatural ability, but what will turn him into a full-fledged superstar is if he can work on these small gaps in his arsenal and turn them into strengths. In two years time, there’s nothing to say that he won’t have already done this, given his monumental progression over the last few months.

The days of the number 10 who’s unassuming and nonchalant out of possession are gone. You’re Riquelme’s and your Totti’s are unfortunately a thing of the past. Now, attacking midfielders must be just as dedicated without the ball as they are with it. King ticks that box 50 times over and in many ways this makes him the ‘modern 10’ archetype. He plays with personality and intent no matter what he’s doing on the pitch and this leaves him as a coach's dream.

12 months ago, most football fans were unaware of who Josh King was, but now his performances at the start of the 2024/25 campaign have forced us to sit up and take notice.

Why Fulham’s Josh King is the ideal modern-day number 10

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