Sports
The Premier League teen everyone’s talking about? Not Estêvão, but a Fulham academy product
There is a special group of teenagers etched into Premier League folklore. Wayne Rooney comes to mind, complete with the immortalized commentary “Remember the name!” when he scored for Everton against Arsenal at age 16. Cesc Fabregas broke through at Arsenal at age 17. Cristiano Ronaldo and Michael Owen exploded onto the Premier League scene at 18 at United.
For longevity? There’s James Milner, who made his debut in 2002 at 16 and is still going. Every club’s fans hold fast to their memories of witnessing a homegrown youngster making their debut, all hoping he’ll be the next bright thing.
This season, the teenager generating the most Premier League headlines is Estêvão at Chelsea. The Brazilian, who arrived for £29 million, scored a wondergoal against Barcelona and has provided several jaw-dropping moments of skill to crown him the new wunderkind. But the 18-year-old whom sporting directors and agents are talking about as an outlier is over at Fulham: midfielder Josh King.
To break through in 2025 as a teenager is harder than ever, but out of all of them, it is King who has the most minutes in the Premier League this season (830).
“Boys that age don’t get given these sorts of opportunities with that regularity unless they’re incredible talents,” one agent said. “We saw it with Lewis Miley a couple of seasons ago, then Kobbie Mainoo, but he was a little older.
“More often, you see young players get a few minutes off the bench, or start matches out wide away from the spine of the team. But to be in the middle of the park? Well, that’s special.”
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Looking at the minutes for 17- and 18-year-olds last season, Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri (then 17) and Myles Lewis-Skelly (18) got 889 and 1,370 minutes, respectively. Tottenham duo Lucas Bergvall (1,206) and Archie Gray (1,743) impressed in first-team appearances, while midfielder Tyler Dibling played for 1,873 minutes at Southampton. Center back Dean Huijsen at Bournemouth was last season’s standout, playing over 2,000 minutes and then moving to Real Madrid in the summer. This season, Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly have been used more sparingly, Bergvall has 414 minutes to date and Gray has been struggling with injury. Defender Josh Acheampong has progressed well at Chelsea, but it’s King who has most impressed.
Back in 2018, at age 11, King was a child mascot for Fulham’s match against Derby and walked out holding captain Tom Cairney‘s hand. King had been in the academy for three years at that point, his parents making the frequent journey from their home in Wimbledon to drop him off at the academy in Motspur Park. They felt at Fulham that technically, he was ready for the first team at 16, but they gave him time to develop, pointing to Fábio Carvalho‘s example that patience works. Carvalho, now with Brentford, made 40 senior appearances for Fulham before moving to Liverpool.
On Dec. 22, 2024, King made his first Premier League start for Fulham at 17 in a 0-0 draw with Southampton. The captain? Cairney. King had already been training with the first team for three or four months, working on improving his strength but also fine-tuning his decision-making. He found the key difference between under-21s and senior level was the lack of time you have on the ball.
“There’s a big step up,” he said. “The step up is the speed you have pressure on you, the speed of play, the speed you have to think, the extra split-second decision which can affect the game between a goal and assist.”
He went on to play 127 minutes for the senior team in the Premier League last term, and when the summer transfer window opened, Fulham handed King a new deal through 2029. In his first interview post-signing, he was asked whether he hoped for more minutes in the 2025-26 season. His response: “I want to develop as a player and person — those opportunities will come if I keep working hard.”
When Andreas Pereira made it clear he was keen on a move to Brazilian club Palmeiras that summer, Fulham weighed up their options. Instead of signing a new No. 10, they turned to King.
Judging when a player is ready to make the step up is no exact science, but by and large, teams look to ability, temperament, personality and physical attributes. You also need a Pereira-sized opportunity. In short, it comes down to good decision-making on and off the pitch.
When you talk to people who know King, the first thing they mention are his parents. Michelle and Steve King have wonderfully steered their son’s career, not rushing him, nor getting sucked into the vacuum of peer comparison. They knew he would develop at different rates compared to his teammates. “If you think you’re in competition as a child, or even worse, as a parent, your child probably won’t make it,” Steve King said on the “Project Footballer” podcast.
Those who have kept a close eye on King point to two moments when his maturity shone through this season. The first was the way he bounced back from an error against Brentford back in September. King dropped deep to receive the ball from the goalkeeper but sent his pass straight to Mikkel Damsgaard, who opened the scoring. King’s head dropped, but he played through it and made two positive actions with his next two touches. Then there was the way he responded to having his first goal for Fulham chalked off due to a controversial VAR call. Postmatch, King wanted to face the media, instead of letting more senior players speak on his behalf.
Fulham manager Marco Silva has been careful with his game time; King has averaged 61 minutes in the Premier League this season while starting ahead of Emile Smith-Rowe. Fulham have been impressed with how quickly he learns on the go in training, and how calm he is on the ball.
Those who’ve seen him play every match this season point to how he has adjusted to playing against physically superior players. He manages to hook his leg around or through them to get to the ball, rather than getting in a tussle. We saw that hook for his first Fulham goal against Wycombe in October as he scored via a midair back heel.
“I enjoy watching the most balletic player in a club side I have been associated with,” Fulham head of football development Huw Jennings said on the BBC podcast “More Than The Score.”
The key now? Patience and careful management. There will be bumpy roads ahead, but right now, he’s an outlier in the Premier League, dictating play in the middle of the park. No wonder his mates at Hampton School used to compare him to Andrea Pirlo.
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The Utah Utes will be ending an era when they play against Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl Dec. 31.
It will be head coach Kyle Whittingham’s last game as head coach after the 66-year-old announced Friday he is stepping down. Whittingham is the winningest coach in program history, going 117-88 over 22 seasons.
“The time is right to step down from my position as the head football coach at the University of Utah,” Whittingham said in a statement Friday.
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Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham on the sideline during the first half against the Baylor Bears at McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas, Nov. 15, 2025. (Chris Jones/Imagn Images)
“It’s been an honor and a privilege to lead the program for the past 21 years, and I’m very grateful for the relationships forged with all the players and assistant coaches that have worked so hard and proudly worn the drum and feather during our time here.”
Whittingham co-coached the Fiesta Bowl with Utah in 2004 and then took over as the permanent head coach the following season. Whittingham led Utah to a winning record in 18 of his 21 seasons.
This season, Utah is 10-2 and at one point ranked No. 13 in the AP poll, just missing out on the College Football Playoff (CFB).
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Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham reacts during the second half against the Kansas Jayhawks at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kan., Nov. 28, 2025. (Jay Biggerstaff/Imagn Images)
Whittingham was named the Western Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 1981 in his senior year.
Before becoming a coach, Whittingham played in the USFL and the CFL from 1982 to 1984. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at BYU.
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Whittingham joined the Utah staff in 1994 and rose through the ranks. He began as the defensive line coach and eventually became the defensive coordinator before becoming the team’s head coach.
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His final game on the sideline will be the team’s bowl game against Nebraska. Whittingham, who is 11-6 in bowl games as a head coach, will look to end his tenure with a win on Dec. 31.
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Every Friday, starting this week, I will pick for you the best or most exciting games not to be missed in the world of football each weekend. From derbies to top of the table clashes, relegation six-pointers to world class players facing each other or other interesting tactical battles, there will be something for everyone to enjoy.
This week, we take you to England, Italy, Spain, France and the Netherlands for a final, big derbies, managers under pressure, Salah-gate and maybe even a first win of the season!
Premier League, Matchday 16
Kickoff: Saturday, 10 a.m. ET / 3 p.m. GMT
The eyes of the whole world will be on Mohamed Salah. Whether he is on the bench, in the stands or on the pitch, it won’t matter. He will go to meet up with the Egypt national team for the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday, but before that, there is a big game for Liverpool — one that could potentially be his last-ever game in a Liverpool shirt.
The big question is around how better (or not) are the current Premier League champions without their king? You could argue that the team has functioned better, is more balanced and clearly, the players like it as it is. After their embarrassing 3-3 draw at Leeds in which they let leads of 2-0 and 3-2 slip, the Reds have to bounce back and redeem themselves. They started to do it in the Champions League in Milan against Inter (1-0), and now they have to start building on wins like this one.
Meanwhile, Brighton have endured a weird first half of the season. They are capable of doing great things, like beating Chelsea away (3-1) or Manchester City at home (2-1), but they’ve also dropped points against Wolves (1-1) and West Ham (1-1). They are winless in their last two, but their ability to play in transition could be a problem for Liverpool’s vulnerable defense.
MY PREDICTION: Liverpool 2, Brighton 0. Liverpool are improving as we saw against Inter Milan on Tuesday night. They will use the same tactical system as in Italy and get a comfortable win.
De Klassieker still matters
Ajax vs. Feyenoord
Dutch Eredivisie, Matchday 16
Kickoff: Sunday, 8:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. GMT
It might not be, on paper, the best De Klassieker ever. Ajax have been in crisis all season long and are fourth in the table, some 14 points behind the leaders, PSV Eindhoven. Feyenoord just lost 4-3 in the Europe league in the dying minutes away at FCSB despite being 3-1 up after 51 minute, and are also six points behind PSV. But don’t let form fool you: even when these teams aren’t at their best, this remains the fiercest rivalry in Dutch football.
For Fred Grim, the Ajax manager who replaced Johnny Heitinga on the bench six weeks ago, this is a huge chance to make his mark. He lost his first three game in charge and then won his next three, including in the Champions League at Qarabag (4-2) after being twice behind. Oscar Gloukh changed the game after coming on, and big forward Kasper Dolberg also scored. Ajax are still a bit of a mess, but at least they are showing character and fight amid all the turbulence.
For Robin van Persie and his Feyenoord side, it is a great opportunity to pour more misery on their oldest enemies. Their form has been sub-par — three wins and six defeats in their last nine — and RVP, who will coach his first De Klassieker, has been criticized at times for playing his 19-year-old son, Shaqueel. They need a win badly, like Ajax, which should make for a great game!
MY PREDICTION: Ajax 2, Feyenoord 3. It will be open, frantic, intense and probably a bit crazy. There will be goals, but Feyenoord are the better team here and should prevail.
All eyes on Xabi Alonso
Alaves vs. Real Madrid
Spanish LaLiga, Matchday 17
Kickoff: Saturday, 3 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. GMT
The only reason this game is interesting — let’s be honest — is because of the delicate position Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso finds himself in. His star-studded team has only won two of their last eight games in all competitions, and this is simply not good enough at a club of this stature. The manager is under huge pressure, and anything but a win on Saturday could see him dismissed.
Their midweek loss against Manchester City in the Champions League wasn’t a bad one in terms of performance, but it still showed the current limits of this team. There are so many injuries (Trent Alexander-Arnold, Éder Militão, Ferland Mendy, David Alaba), suspensions (Endrick, Fran García, Álvaro Carreras) and fitness doubts (Kylian Mbappé, Eduardo Camavinga, Dean Huijsen), all of which is making Alonso’s task more difficult. But then if you are not capable, as Real Madrid manager, to beat Alaves after the bad run you have been on, then you don’t deserve to sit on that bench.
Alaves are 11th in the table, have been decent at home this season (four wins, two draws and only two defeats). They also don’t play in Europe which should give them an advantage physically. They are a solid team that defends well. They have conceded as many goals as Real Madrid for example this season (15), but they’ve also only scored 13 in the mean time; expect them to sit deep and try to make life difficult for the Merengues around their captain and holding midfielder Andre Guevara.
MY PREDICTION: Alaves 1, Real Madrid 3. Real Madrid have been inconsistent lately, but they will find the resources to win this game and ease the pressure on manager Xabi Alonso.
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The return of the Tyne-Wear Derby
Sunderland vs. Newcastle
Premier League, Matchday 16
Kickoff: Sunday, 11:30 a.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. GMT
This is one of the biggest derbies and rivalries in England, and fans of both clubs — even neutrals — have been waiting for far too long for a Premier League clash between Sunderland and Newcastle. It’s been eight years since they clashed in England’s top flight, and not much separates these two cities on and off the pitch.
Regis Le Bris is doing a amazing and obsessive job at Sunderland. He works so hard and has made them so much better. They are ninth in the table, beyond everyone’s expectations for this point in the season, and are just three points behind 4th place. They are a great surprise that no one saw coming as one of the newly promoted sides. They are unbeaten at home in the league too.
It will be tough for the visitors, especially after fighting hard in midweek for a 2-2 draw against Bayer Leverkusen. The main problem is that their away form is bad in the Premier league. It has been all season: they’ve only won one game outside of St James’ Park! They are expecting a massive fight and it will be exactly like that so they better prepare themselves for it.
MY PREDICTION: Sunderland 1, Newcastle 0. Newcastle’s away form has been poor all season, while Sunderland have made the Stadium of Light a fortress. It will stay this way on Sunday.
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Fiorentina vs. Hellas Verona
Serie A, Matchday 15
Kickoff: Sunday, 9 a.m. ET / 2 p.m. GMT
Fiorentina are only the second team in Europe’s big five leagues without a league win this season, alongside Wolves in England! After 14 games, they have six draws and eight defeats! They finished sixth last season, but are now bottom of Serie A approaching Christmas. They’re faring a bit better in Europe with three wins, including on Thursday against Dynamo Kiev (2-1), and two losses, but it’s just not happening for them domestically.
Fiorentina have changed managers (Paolo Vanoli replaced Stefano Pioli on Nov. 7) and still have a good squad with the likes of Moise Kean, Edin Dzeko, Nicolò Fagioli and Albert Gudmundsson, but nothing has gone their way. However, this is their chance. At home, against Verona, the team 19th in the table. Even if the ultras are not happy and the atmosphere will be tense, the win against Kiev was convincing.
Verona actually got their first win of the season last weekend — unexpectedly, to be fair — against Atalanta (3-1). They will travel to Florence having had the whole week to prepare for this massive six-pointer, and with the confidence of their first victory of the campaign. Expect them to let Fiorentina have the bulk of possession and play on the counter like they did last weekend with the likes of Giovane, Daniel Mosquera and Antoine Bernede.
MY PREDICTION: Fiorentina 2, Verona 1. Finally, it will happen! Fiorentina will win their first league game of the season and start their quest to stay up! It won’t be easy but they will get it done.
Another rivalry game in France
Marseille vs. Monaco
French Ligue 1
Kickoff: Friday, 2:45 p.m. ET / 7.45 p.m. GMT
This is more than a local rivalry and a derby. Marseille against Monaco is the working class against the billionnaires, the docks against the French Riviera, an American owner against a Russian one, in-form Mason Greenwood against Maghnes Akliouche.
It’s also a game loaded with history. Back in the 1990s, the Bernard Tapie and Arsène Wenger era was the peak of the rivalry between the two clubs. A dominant Marseille, under their very powerful president, against a Monaco side revolutionised by a young, talented manager who was clearly going places. At the time, they were the two best teams in the country; this time, they are third and seventh respectively, but only six points separate them in the table.
Both of them won in midweek in the Champions League, Marseille at Union Saint-Gilloise (3-2) and Monaco against Galatasaray (1-0). They both need another victory in their last league game of 2025: Roberto De Zerbi and his Marseillais are trying to stay in range of PSG and Lens at the top, while Sebastien Pocognoli and his Monégasques need to bridge the gap to the top four.
When it comes to players, Greenwood has been on fire for Marseille while Folarin Balogun, the U.S. international at Monaco, is in top form too. It will be intense and the pressure will be high because neither can afford to drop more points.
MY PREDICTION: Marseille 2, Monaco 2. Monaco are too inconsistent at the moment, and have been since Pocognoli took over from Adi Hutter in mid-October. Marseille have been wobbly at home lately, drawing against Angers and Toulouse. It will be a draw again.
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The University of North Carolina sidelines will look a little bit different next season.
Sure, they looked plenty different this year with Bill Belichick roaming the gridiron instead of Mack Brown, who was let go after last season.
But Belichick’s arrival was filled with controversy, largely surrounding his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson. On the field, it was not much better.
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North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick with the team before the game at Kenan Stadium. (Bob Donnan/Imagn Images)
The school announced Friday it had “parted ways” with two of Belichick’s assistants after the school’s 4-8 season.
North Carolina offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens and special teams coordinator Mike Priefer will not return next season.
“We want to thank Coach Kitchens and Coach Priefer for their commitment and many contributions to our program and student-athletes,” Belichick said in a statement. “We wish them both nothing but the best in their future endeavors.”
North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick watches from the sidelines during the first half of an NCAA football game against Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (Nell Redmond/AP)
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UNC’s offense was one of the worst in the country, ranking 119th in the Bowl Subdivision in scoring (19.3) and 129th in total offense (288.8 yards).
The Tar Heels had special-teams issues coming down the stretch, too, notably with Duke running a fake field goal to set up a late game-winning touchdown and N.C. State successfully running a fake punt for a first down the following week.
North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick on the sidelines in the second quarter at Kenan Stadium. (Bob Donnan/Imagn Images)
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Belichick signed a five-year deal and stated he would not head to the NFL. He and the New England Patriots parted ways after the 2023 season, and the 2024 campaign was his first away from the NFL sidelines since 1974.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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