Josh King is one of the most exciting young players in English football. A midfielder at Fulham, he has come to the attention of England manager Thomas Tuchel after a series of impressive performances in the Premier League. His route into the game, though, has been anything but conventional. An outstanding academic record, a family with no particular ties to football and a background in rugby make for an unusual profile. Now, with the senior England squad in sight, he is beginning to make his case.
It starts with his mother, Michelle, a university lecturer who is close to completing a PhD on sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder. His father, Steve, is a lawyer. Not quite the usual background for a professional footballer. King has admitted that, had things turned out differently on the pitch, he might have considered following his father into the legal profession. His education was every bit as serious as his football. He attended Hampton School, an independent school in south-west London, where he achieved the highest possible grades in all ten of his GCSE subjects. He then continued his studies alongside football, taking three A-levels part-time in French, mathematics and psychology. He came away with an A in French and a C in mathematics. Psychology proved more difficult, but the circumstances were hardly ordinary: he sat his exams last summer in a hotel suite in Romania, while away with England at the Under-19 European Championship.
«The biggest thing about being academically prepared is being able to take in information a lot quicker», King told The Guardian. «You can understand concepts in a short space of time that might take other people a bit more effort. It’s something that has always helped me. The ability to communicate with teammates, whether they’re younger or more experienced, is also fundamental in football. Having those qualities really makes a difference». The past year has brought a significant change in his standing. In 2025/26, King made his first real impression in the Premier League, appearing in 32 of Fulham’s 38 games, 15 times from the start. That was enough to earn him a place in Tuchel’s senior England set-up and a call-up for the pre-World Cup camp in Florida. He did not play in either of the two friendlies, but the experience left its mark. He saw at close quarters what life around the national team looks like, and came away wanting more.
This season, he has been a regular in Fulham’s league starting eleven. An England place is another matter. The competition in the attacking midfield positions is formidable, with Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White all in the picture. Phil Foden and Cole Palmer, neither of whom has been included in recent squads, are waiting too. Tuchel, however, is interested in seeing more of King and has been looking at different ways of accommodating him. He can play on either wing, has been used as a centre-forward in training and, in Florida, was even given a run at right-back. «In Florida, I had the chance to learn from so many players. Jude [Bellingham], in particular, stood out to me. He took me under his wing and did a lot to make me feel comfortable. Harry Kane was the same. The main thing you take away from an experience like that is the standards these players maintain every day. The way they train, their desire to win, their competitiveness. Then there are the technical details: the way some of them strike the ball or read a pass. Little things you might absorb without even realising it, but they make a difference», King said.
Florida had not been part of the original plan. His mother was due to attend a conference there connected to her doctoral research, and King had intended to go along with her. Then Tuchel’s call came.
«My mum is very close to completing her PhD on sickle cell disease, a condition that mainly affects Black and mixed-race communities», he said. «She’s an incredible woman, someone I look up to enormously. Her work ethic and the way she approaches every situation are amazing. I try to follow her example and become more like her». There was rugby before football took over. King played as a fly-half, a position that demanded plenty of kicking and gave him a different kind of education in handling the ball. He believes it helped him develop physically and technically, particularly his coordination and awareness. «It definitely helped me. I think about movement, ball control, hand-eye and foot-eye coordination. As a fly-half, I did a lot of kicking. But football was always my passion and I knew I was better at it. I’d like to go back and play a bit of rugby when I finish my career, because it’s such a physical sport. Obviously, I wouldn’t want to get injured!».
Fulham, meanwhile, has been a constant. King joined the club at eight and has grown up there, through the various age groups and a succession of coaches. He still describes it as «a second home. It’s a club I see as a family. Growing up here has been fundamental to my career. I’ve had so many coaches, some of whom have been with me for several years. I remember Charlie Turnbull, who coached me for five consecutive seasons, from Under-10s to Under-14s. Having continuity with your coaches and somewhere you can call home is very important for a footballer’s development». He has been at Fulham for most of his life. The classrooms, the rugby pitch, the people around him. And now, somewhere in the background, England.