A rare talent that comes along once in a blue moon, but he never quite hit the heights. What happened to one of Brentford, and English football’s great hopes?
Josh McEachran was born on the 1st of March 1993 in Oxfordshire as one of five children. Football was evidently a huge foundation of the family. He and two of his brothers, Zac and George, spent time in Chelsea’s academy like Josh did, but Josh was always the standout of the trio of McEachrans that entered the fold at Chelsea.
From just the age of 7, he was in Chelsea’s youth system. His life revolved around football, and the potential of becoming a professional footballer one day. His parents took him to Chelsea training 3 times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, in addition to receiving tutoring at the training ground. It was clear to see from a young age that this boy was a spark of English football, making his England U16 debut at just 14.
At 16, Josh was in a more college environment alongside the rest of Chelsea’s youth setup. Whilst important for his development, the real goal was still clear: make it professional. After a remarkable trajectory rising from the Oxford Mail Boys League, Josh made his Chelsea debut at 17 and a half years old in the Champions League in September 2010, describing it as a “dream come true”. From a schoolboy to, well, still a schoolboy, Josh had taken his level from a kickabout with his mates to appearing for one of Europe’s superpowers in the world’s most elite club competition. The first player to be born after the creation of the Champions League to appear in the competition. A niche, yet incredibly indicative fact about how exciting this young man was from such a young age. In July 2011, this excitement was compounded by being handed a 5 year contract at a Chelsea side that were on the rise again. A club with a history of developing talent, Josh looked to be yet another product of Cobham’s illustrious supply chain.
The 2011/12 season began, and the optimism of that same young boy playing in the field of Oxfordshire knew no bounds. This season didn’t deliver quite as expected. After being given a handful of opportunities to show himself under Andre Villas-Boas at Chelsea, Josh was sent out on loan to Swansea City. This was the start of a 3-year period of loans laced with ups and downs. A scintillating spell at Middlesbrough saw him win the Young Player of the Year award in his first season in professional football, where he truly showed English football that they had a gem in the palm of their hand. Loans to Watford, Wigan, and Vitesse followed, which, unfortunately, didn’t bear fruit for a youngster suffering with injury and confidence-related problems.
2015/16 - New Beginnings At Brentford
Faith was restored when Brentford came calling in the summer of 2015. As a club quite clearly on the up following a top 6 finish in their first season back in the Championship for over 20 years, this was the opportunity that Josh had been looking for after a tough two years since that impressive Middlesbrough spell. Following his arrival at Brentford, Josh said it was time for him “get out” of Chelsea after being in the Cobham system for 15 years. This his fantastic chance at Brentford gave him the opportunity to “push on” in his words. Evidently eager to get started at Brentford, Josh was greeted with an unsavoury start, as a fractured foot just two weeks after joining the club ruled the 22-year-old out for 5 months. Josh was quoted in an interview with the club saying it “absolutely killed” him, and understandably so. 3 months later in March 2016, a devastating re-fracture of the foot put the young man desperately searching for stability on the sideline for the remainder of the season. A new club, but the same problems remained. The hopes of the club weren’t necessarily on Josh’s shoulders, but should the midfielder stay consistently fit, it would no doubt lead Brentford to new heights as they look to continue their trajectory through the leagues.
2016/17
The 16/17 season rolled around, which was to be Josh’s 6th season in professional football at the age of just 23. Time was certainly on his side, but there was growing frustration for his ambitious self that he still was yet to show his true ability at Brentford. A stop-start beginning to the season added to such frustrations, but come January 2017, Josh had found his feet in the starting lineup and was playing as well as he'd ever done at Brentford. He had been working hard on the training pitch, often staying out after training to keep his fitness and put an end to his history blighted by injury problems. The desire was there, and so was the need to continue playing regular football during such a developmental stage in his career. Cautious optimism was in the air. Good performances, but how long is it before another injury setback? The undesired, but unsurprising setback came towards the end of February when Josh suffered a serious ankle ligament injury, putting him, once again, into rehabilitation for the rest of the season.
2017/18
Josh recovered in time for the start of the 17/18 season, but another shot in the starting 11 wasn’t a given. He had to compete with a midfield arsenal of Woods, Mokotjo, Yennaris, Sawyers, and Macleod. Certainly no easy competition, but Josh did manage to break into the starting lineup for an exciting side, but described his role in the team as “in and out” in an end-of-season interview. A relatively injury-free season was a breath of fresh air, which in turn gave Josh the platform to show us what he was all about. A memorable game away at Bristol City in April 2018 rings a very loud bell for me. He absolutely ran the game from start to finish. A commanding performance, and a glimpse into what us Brentford fans had been missing out on through the harsh reality of injuries. Seeing such a performance was bittersweet. Incredibly exciting, yes, but who knows where Josh could’ve taken us if this was shown on a more consistent basis? Ending the season on a positive note was something rather unfamiliar when talking about Josh, but this time it was different. For once, Josh was publicly happy about where he was at, optimistically describing his role in another positive season for the club. It was great to see. When talking about the prospect of reaching the playoffs in the following season: “I think we can definitely do it”. There was fire in his belly, and a real urge to reignite that spark on the pitch he once had.
2018/19
With growing confidence around Josh and the club as a whole going into the 18/19 season, now seemed like it was the time to make his mark on the Championship. He started the season as a vital cog in Dean Smith’s machine that was looking as well-oiled as ever. Pre-season expectations were being fulfilled. Josh and his Brentford side were looking like a strong and confident outfit - ready to challenge for the ultimate prize of promotion. Hard work off the pitch and a strong desire to get his career firmly on track was rewarded with a first goal in professional football in October 2018 against Birmingham City. More than eight years after his first team debut for Chelsea as that zealous 17 year-old, Josh finally had his maiden professional goal, which was without doubt a potential springboard to further success at Brentford. Throughout October and November, Josh retained his place in the side, but couldn’t continue his form as the whole team faltered following the appointment of Thomas Frank. Come December, Josh had lost his stronghold in the 11 to the returning Kamohelo Mokotjo. Mokotjo quickly became a crucial player in a miraculous turn of form for the club beginning at the end of December, winning 8 of the next 13 games leading into the middle of March 2019. The return of Mokotjo and the subsequent impressive run of form for Brentford was, ultimately, the final kick in the teeth for Josh’s Brentford career. Josh made his final appearance for Brentford on the 9th of March against Middlesbrough, where he first made his impression on English football. Josh was then dropped from the first team squad for the rest of the season in early April. On the 7th of May, Brentford confirmed Josh’s departure after turning down a new contract, calling time on a 4-year career at the club that gave him an opportunity that unfortunately he could never quite take like he would’ve wanted. A career record 101 appearances and a handful of impressive spells at Brentford cannot be frowned upon, but in the end, a frustrating period for Josh who couldn’t quite reach the levels the 22 year-old returning to West London once desired.
Post Brentford
His time after Brentford included spells at Birmingham City, MK Dons, hometown club Oxford United, and finally Bristol Rovers, where he was released following the conclusion of last season. Josh now runs his own training and education academy for young footballers back home in Oxfordshire, looking to use his experience to inspire young talent.
A player who looks to be unwinding his career after over 200 EFL appearances, but the bright future he had at Chelsea, Middlesbrough, and Brentford leaves us asking the unanswered question around what he could’ve become had injuries unfortunately not got the better of him.
