FORMER HAMPTON SCHOOLBOY NAMED IN ENGLAND SQUAD FOR NATIONS LEAGUE
A former Hampton School pupil has been selected for Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad for the Nations League matches against Spain and Croatia.
Josh King, aged 19, whose family live in Kingston, plays as an attacking midfielder for Premier League club Fulham, joins Arsenal’s Declan Rice as a local lad. He attended Grey Court school in Ham.
When he scored his first goal for Fulham the school posted the following message on its alumni page:
”Huge congratulations to Josh King on scoring his first Premier League goal for Fulham FC this weekend – a fantastic moment in their comeback win at Craven Cottage.
“From his early days lighting up the pitches on Hanworth Road to now making his mark in the top flight of English football, Josh’s journey continues to inspire Hamptonians everywhere.
“We are incredibly proud of his hard work, dedication and perseverance. Well played, Josh – the Hampton School community is cheering you on!”
The school’s director of football David Burke has said: “It is really pleasing to hear that Josh is progressing so well. He has always had an excellent mentality and been hard working with a desire to learn.
“Josh’s still has a long way to go and we will all be following his journey with interest and pride.”
Josh’s academic background is not that of most footballers.
He was privately educated at Hampton School in south-west London, he walked through his GCSEs, achieving A or A* in his 10 subjects.
He went on to study part-time for A-levels in French, maths and psychology, getting grades of A, C and D as he sat the exams in a hotel suite in Romania last summer while playing for England at the European Under-19 Championship.
King’s rise has been meteoric. He enjoyed his breakthrough season in 2025-26, appearing in 32 of Fulham’s 38 Premier League matches, starting 15 of them, prompting Tuchel to giving him a first England call-up for the pre-World Cup camp in Florida.
King did not play in either of the friendlies but found the experience invaluable and motivating.
This season, he has been an ever-present in Fulham’s starting league team and it is no exaggeration to describe him as ‘one of the country’s most exciting teenage talents,’ according to The Guardian
Tuchel has a wealth of options in the No 10 position: Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White.
But he wanted to see King during this camp and has noted that he can be an option off the wings; also as a No 9 in training.
Tuchel even used King as a full-back during the sessions in Florida and, although he has promised not to do that this week, it is a further example of the player’s flexibility.
King said: “There were a lot of people I learned from in Florida and Jude [Bellingham] was a standout,”
He added; “He took me under his wing and really tried to make me feel welcome. Harry Kane did, as well. The main thing you take [from all the players] is the standards they set. The way they perform every day. The will to win, the competitive edge. Then there were the technical things – the way some people strike the ball, the way they pass. It was little things that you almost take without thinking but they have an impact.”
King has paid a glowing tribute to his mother. “She’s an incredible woman, someone I really look up to. Her work ethic and the way she holds herself is incredible. She’s someone I strive to be more like.”
In his younger days at Hampton School he played as a rugby union fly-half. “That’s definitely contributed,” he says.
“In terms of your movement, your ability to manoeuvre the ball, hand-eye coordination and foot-eye coordination … obviously as a fly-half, I used to do a lot of kicking.
“Football was always my passion and I was better at football. I would love to play a bit of rugby after my career because it’s quite physical. I don’t want to get injured!”
“There are a lot of players that I’ve enjoyed watching over the last years,” King says. “And one of them is in the dressing room with me now. Jude is incredible – the way he plays and conducts himself, his energy, his passion. His quality is really top. He’s someone I definitely look up to.”
King joined Fulham at the age of eight, roughly when Tom Cairney arrived from Blackburn and began to establish himself as a club favourite.
King idolised Cairney; as an 11-year-old, he was a mascot and walked out at Craven Cottage holding Cairney’s hand. He can now call Cairney a teammate.
“I’ve said it before but Fulham is like a second home to me,” King says. “It’s a club which really feels like a family to me.
“Being there throughout my career has been massive. I had a lot of coaches and some of them stayed with me as I came up.
“I remember one called Charlie Turnbull who I had for five straight years from under-10s to under-14s. Having that continuity of coaching and that place you can almost call home is really important for your development.”