Josiah King has become the second youth player to have their new professional contract confirmed on Tuesday, with Arsenal officially announcing the deal.
Arsenal confirmed a professional contract for Josiah King on Tuesday, with the player putting pen to paper on his 17th birthday. Given you’re only eligible for a pro deal at 17, King couldn’t have committed his future to the Gunners any sooner than he did.
“It’s something I’ve been dreaming about for a long time,” King said. “So it’s always good to achieve something that you’ve always wanted to achieve. So I’m happy about that.
“It’s a good day to celebrate my birthday. It’s in the top-one birthdays, for sure.”
King was the second Arsenal player to have their new deal announced on Tuesday, following Ibe Ibrahim’s contract announcement the same morning.
King has been at Arsenal since the under-10s, meaning he’s now spent more than seven years with the club.
This season, the teenager has made 11 appearances for the academy, primarily playing for the u18s but also getting a couple of opportunities for the u21s and a couple more for the u19s in the UEFA Youth League.
Away from Arsenal, King is a regular England youth international, playing for the England u17s on four occasions so far this season. Though his progress for club and country is currently on hold as he recovers from an injury.
King is probably best described as a right-back, but his bombing runs forward mean he often ends up further up the pitch, and he sometimes starts for Arsenal as a winger.
Those traits would likely serve him well in the Arsenal first-team, but the youngster first needs to break into the u21s on a regular basis.