Our Young Gun series gets to know the academy youngsters kicking off their careers at Sobha Realty Training Centre.
Josh Nichols spoke to us recently, and here's what he had to say about signing his first pro deal, breaking into the first team and more.
This season has been brilliant so far, but the whole year has been amazing. Starting off by signing my professional deal in July, which was just a dream come true. I’ve been at the club since I was eight, and it’s something I’ve been working towards my entire football career. I feel blessed to have finally achieved it, but even with that milestone, there’s still so much more work to do.
When I was offered the deal, the coaches said I had earned it. They told me I’d been making a lot of progress and deserved the contract, encouraging me to keep going. However, they also emphasised that earning a pro deal is one thing, but staying at the club and playing games for the first team is another challenge altogether.
Soon after signing my pro deal, I went to the USA with the first team, which was amazing! We got a message a day before we were due to fly out. There was a long standby list, so we were told to stay alert just in case. When I got the text, I was buzzing. It was a bit chaotic, as I had to pack quickly, but we got it done. Coincidentally, my mum was already in America visiting family at the time, so it worked out perfectly for her to fly over and watch me play.
On tour, I got my chance to play against Bournemouth, coming on in the 78th minute for Ben White. I was surprised because I never expected to come on, but when Mikel called me over, I wasn’t very nervous – I was excited and just wanted to show people what I was capable of.
Although I didn’t play for long, it was good to get on the pitch, and I enjoyed it. In the next game against Man United, I got 30 minutes, which was another amazing experience. I had a tough assignment against Sancho, but I made a good recovery tackle on him, which went viral. It was surreal because I’m used to seeing these players on FIFA, but I believe I deserve to play on that stage, so I just took the opportunity. I also got a few more minutes in the final game against Liverpool, which again was a blessing.
To feature in every game on the US tour was an amazing experience for me. Being with the first team and enjoying first-class treatment was a blessing, and I loved it! I hope there’s more to come. During the tour, I felt I was able to bond with the first-team players more. I got on well with Gabby Jesus, and we’ve become close — he’s such a nice person!
"Mikel said my name at right back. I couldn't believe it, I was over the moon!"
A few months later, I made my competitive first-team debut against Bolton in the Carabao Cup third round. I'd been training with the first team a lot that week, and during an analysis meeting, Mikel was discussing different players who might start. Then he said my name at right back, and I couldn’t believe it! My eyes shot open, and I was over the moon. As soon as the meeting ended, I called my mum, and she was so happy for me.
Walking out in the tunnel, I was a bit more nervous as it was a competitive game in front of 60,000 at the Emirates. But I took my opportunity, we won 5-1, and I played the full 90 minutes, which was great. It was a special game not only for me but also for the other young players like Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Jack Porter, Ismeal Kabia, and Maldini Kacurri. I’ve played with Maldini and Ismeal for a long time, so seeing them come on was a great moment. Experiencing that with my academy brothers was amazing.
There isn’t too much difference between an under-21s matchday and a first-team matchday, but there are a lot more in-depth meetings, and of course, the quality on show is much higher.
I’ve played a lot for the under-21s this season, but there have been times when I’ve trained extensively with the first team and then played for the under-21s. It’s not too difficult an adjustment, but it makes you appreciate how hard it is to play for the first team. The intensity, even in training sessions, is incredibly high. It’s very quick, and any mistake you make will be capitalised on. Every session is difficult, but I’m used to that intensity now! Defenders like Saliba and Gabriel help me a lot — they’re always communicating with me.
My goals for the rest of the season are to return fully healthy as I’m currently injured. This is actually my first long-term injury, so I’m just hoping to get back fit.
My mum is the most important person to me in football. She’s always been there, supporting me, taking me to training and cheering me on. She’s my biggest fan. I’m always grateful to her, and she comes to all my matches, whether it’s under-21s or first team.
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