Josh King has been called into the England senior squad for forthcoming matches against Croatia and Spain — a milestone that surprises nobody who has watched him develop from a quietly exceptional academy player into one of the Premier League's most compelling teenagers.

Thomas Tuchel selected King ahead of Cole Palmer and Phil Foden, citing his attitude and personality as central to the decision. Alvaro Arbeloa, his club manager at Fulham, went further: "He has everything to become one of the best players in the world."

The academy years

Charlie Turnbull coached King at Fulham's academy across five seasons — from the U10s through to the U14s — and recalls a player who was exceptional at a national level before he was a teenager. What set King apart, however, was not raw ability alone.

"One of the most outstanding things about Josh is that whenever the level went up, whenever there was a pressure game, he loved it," Turnbull told Sky Sports. "You always saw the best of Josh when the ante was up. I never once saw him not deliver in those circumstances."

Turnbull remembers King winning best-player honours at youth tournaments across France, Spain, and Portugal — voted for by opposition club staff after weekends of competition against Europe's biggest academies.

Chelsea's interest and staying power

Fulham were not the only club paying attention. Chelsea, widely regarded as England's leading academy at the time, had registered interest. But King and his family never encouraged a move.

"Chelsea were generally able to bring in any player they wanted," says Turnbull. "We were aware of interest, but you never felt like it would materialise because Josh and his family never courted it."

Turnbull credits King's parents — Michelle, a university lecturer, and Steve, a lawyer — with keeping him grounded throughout. A private school education and involvement in multiple sports, he argues, gave King an identity broader than football alone, reducing the weight of expectation that can derail young players.

How his game was shaped

Technically, King's profile was largely established by the time Turnbull first worked with him. "His game hasn't changed that much," he says. "It was pretty fully formed when I met him."

The two areas Fulham's academy did target, however, were his ball striking and his left side. Turnbull describes removing King from group sessions for dedicated shooting drills — work that now manifests in his ability to generate remarkable power with almost no backlift. His goal against Chelsea, when he beat Robert Sanchez at the near post, illustrated that quality vividly. So did a spectacular volley parried by Lukas Hornicek against Newcastle and a ferocious shot that struck the post against Coventry.

King's movement is equally striking. Turnbull singles out his ability to twist, change direction, and receive the ball in tight spaces as his most visible attribute. This season, he ranks behind only Erling Haaland for touches inside the opposition box in the Premier League — a statistic that reflects both his instincts and his understanding of space.

Role and future position

Arbeloa has deployed King almost exclusively as a No 10 this season, and the numbers back the decision — King leads Fulham in goal involvements and has played more Premier League minutes than any other teenager over the past two seasons. Tuchel has praised his versatility, but Turnbull believes King's long-term home may be slightly deeper.

"I think probably his best position will end up being as a No 8 — box to box, contributing in the final third but also involved in build-up," he says. "He's so hard to get the ball off, and his understanding of how to progress the game is of a very high level."

Still growing

At 19, King remains physically underdeveloped relative to his potential. Turnbull describes him as "under-maturated" throughout his academy career — regularly competing against boys who were physically stronger — and sees that as a marker of future gains rather than a limitation.

"I look at Josh and I still think he hasn't even got close to developing into the athlete that he will be," says Turnbull. "And that's a great thought, because he is performing so well in the Premier League already. I think there's a lot more to come from him."