Josh Maja during his time at Sunderland. (Getty Images)
Premier League clubs often look to the lower English divisions for rising players with big potential. While most of these players usually come from the 2nd division of English football, in very rare cases, players are even brought in from the lower divisions. The player in discussion here is Sunderland forward Josh Maja.
He is a massive prospect being scouted by a large number of clubs worldwide but being an Englishman, he would prefer to stay in England and make the move up to the Premier League. His value is partly due to his excellent skill and goal return, and partly due to his rather tender age of just 20.
Josh Maja was born in the London Borough of Lewisham in December 1998. He was born to Nigerian parents but was raised in Pimlico in London. As a youngster, Maja played for the youth teams of Crystal Palace and Fulham.
He also had a stint with Manchester City but joined Sunderland when Man City refused to offer him a full scholarship. He joined Sunderland on a year scholarship and further went on to sign a 3-year contract. He made a solitary Premier League appearance for Sunderland in the season that they got relegated.
The Premier League giants often scout English players in lower leagues and hence it is no surprise that Josh Maja is attracting the top teams. Having already scored 14 goals in 23 League One appearances, he has shown himself in a new light to the suitors.
Josh is a fairly large framed structure who is fast and has a killer touch under his belt. He is capable of leading the line on his own but when deployed as a second striker, he tends to be extremely impressive.
His dribbling skills are also quite intriguing for a big lad and he makes some excellent runs into space that often takes multiple defenders out of the game. His pace and attacking prowess will be the perfect ingredient for a successful career in the English top-flight.
Read More: Who is this outstanding La Liga prospect on Man City’s radar? A good spot by Guardiola?
According to reports by the Guardian and the Mirror, Josh has rejected a new Sunderland contract while he is attracting interest from some top Premier League clubs. Manchester City, Tottenham, Crystal Palace and Huddersfield are all interested in the youngster. Irrespective of which club he signs for, he is almost assured to be a Premier League hit given his attacking style.
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