The rise of Josh King, from joining Fulham at eight to potential England star

Thomas Tuchel is very clearly a big fan of Josh King.

As is Alvaro Arbeloa.

And, to a lesser extent, as was Marco Silva last season.

King is a talent, of which there can be no doubt, but his lack of an ego and willingness to work hard and play where he is told is what makes him so liked by fans, his peers and, perhaps most crucially, all three managers he has worked with.

Now, after a call-up to join the World Cup squad in the summer and a name-check from Tuchel in September, King is set to become a fully-fledged England international.

It has been a long journey to get here, even with King still only 19.

He joined Fulham at the age of just eight years old in 2015, growing up not far away from Craven Cottage in Wimbledon.

After moving from Donhead Preparatory School to Hampton, King thrived as the school won the ESFA Cup in 2023.

King was already involved with the Fulham U21 set-up the following year, still aged just 16.

In 2024, he won Scholar of the Year with the Cottagers academy, and he was promptly rewarded with his first senior contract.

Still just 17, King made both his League Cup debut against Birmingham and his Premier League debut.

Just shy of his 18th birthday, he made his first Premier League start.

His next accolade would come at the age of 18, when King scored his first Fulham goal, coming in the League Cup against Wycombe Wanderers.

King actually did score against Chelsea in the Premier League in August, but it was harshly ruled out for an adjudged foul by Rodrigo Muniz in the build-up.

King went on to notch his first Premier League goal in a 3-1 win over Burnley last season at the age of 19.

It was a season in which King played 36 senior matches for Fulham, albeit many of them off the bench as he rotated with Emile Smith Rowe for the No.10 position.

Under Arbeloa, King has been ever-present, starting all 10 Premier League matches, bagging two goals and an assist.

No teenager has played more Premier League minutes since the start of last season than King, and it is showing off the pitch too.

With Fulham losing experienced men in Raul Jimenez, Harry Wilson, Sasa Lukic and Issa Diop last summer and bringing in several young players, the club was crying out for new leaders.

King has already taken on that responsibility, with Arbeloa revealing that he gave an “amazing” pre-match speech ahead of one match.

The teenager has it all and a long and successful career awaits him.

It has been 16 years since Fulham’s last England call-up.

That was Bobby Zamora in 2010.

Josh King was three years old.

Now he could end that drought for Fulham and make the next step in what has already been a hugely impressive career.