Josh King bringing big dreams to England camp after Nations League call-up
The teenager will make his senior debut in fixtures against Croatia and Spain.
Josh King aspires to become the “best midfielder of all time” and a World Cup winner with England as the teenage high achiever looks to use off-field intelligence to better his game.
The 19-year-old earned a first senior call-up for the Nations League doubleheader against Croatia and Spain having impressed in June’s pre-World Cup training camp and back at club level with Fulham.
King is as talented as he is ambitious, telling fellow teenage whizz-kid Theo Walcott earlier this year that one of his admittedly “far-fetched” ambitions was to help England win a first World Cup since 1966.
The other, as he repeatedly told his family growing up, is that he wants “to be the best midfielder of all time” and, while acknowledging he may not achieve that, said it is “always a good aspiration”.
Reminded of that stated goal, King said: “That would that would definitely be something which would be incredible.
“Yeah, of course (I aspire to do that). If I can get to that level, then that’s something which I definitely aspire to be since I was a kid.
“I think I said in another question that maybe playing for England and scoring for England felt slightly unachievable when I was younger.
“But when you get to that point and you keep working and you keep striving to get there, then anything’s achievable if you put your mind to it.”
That mindset is highlighted by the way King balanced the demands of progressing through the ranks with his education, including completing A-levels in French, Maths and Psychology.
Asked if academic success helps his game, the teenager said: “Yeah, I definitely think so. I know my mum would probably say so!
“But, yeah, I think it definitely has an impact. I think the most important thing about being good academically and education-wise is that you’re able to take on information much more quickly.
“You can almost take on information which might take a bit longer for other people, so I think that definitely helps. It’s never been a hindrance to me.
“It’s always been something which has helped me and being able to communicate with my team-mates – sometimes younger players, sometimes older players – is a massive part of football, so I think having those skills is really important.”
King says he would have liked to have been a lawyer like his father, Steve, had he not become a footballer and strives to be like his accomplished mother, Michelle.
“My mum is very close to finishing her PhD in sickle cell disease, which is a disease which usually affects the black and mixed community,” he added.
“She’s an incredible woman, and she’s someone who I really look up to. Her work ethic and the way she holds herself is incredible, and something which I strive to be more like.”