The Club is pleased to announce that Josh King has been selected as our 2023/24 Scholar of the Year.
It’s been a fantastic year on the pitch for Josh, who began the season with the Under-18s before quickly making the step up to Under-21s football, making 10 appearances for Hayden Mullins’ side in PL2.
Josh scored on his U21s debut back in October in a 4-0 win against Leicester City in the Premier League Cup; a competition that our Young Whites went on to win. He signed his first professional contract in January and was on the bench for the First Team in Premier League fixtures against Burnley and AFC Bournemouth a month later.
Off the field, Josh has worked just as hard as he has on it. His dedication and tenacity has seen him enjoy success in his three A-levels; French, Maths and Psychology. Studying three A-levels is impressive in itself, but when you consider the intensity of Josh’s football commitments, his achievements are even more applaudable.
Josh’s dedication to the entire scholarship programme means he also contributes hugely to the ethos and culture of the PDP. He has demonstrated his maturity and leadership skills by being active in supporting his peers.
After winning the award, which was presented to him at the Premier League Youth Development Conference, Josh said: “I’m buzzing to win the award. It was a great season and I’m grateful to the people who chose me for the award.
“It was a successful and enjoyable season for me personally. The U18s programme with Ali (Melloul) and Jos (Andrew Joslin) really helped me improve and then I managed to quite smoothly progress into U21s football.
“I’ve managed to get my head down and I’m always looking to keep my standards high on the pitch and in education as well.”
Congratulations, Josh!
