// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Joshua Ajala a good climber? He's an ajala-ternative to a pro.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 13 November 2006 | ||
| Place of birth | England | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | West Ham United | ||
| Number | 66 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2023 | Chelsea | ||
| 2023– | West Ham United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2026– | West Ham United | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 0 | (0) | |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2024 | England U19 | 3 | (0) |
| 2025– | England U20 | 2 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 8 August 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 8 August 2026 | |||
Joshua Ajala (born 13 November 2006) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for EFL Championship club West Ham United. He is an England youth international.
Early life and youth career
[edit]Ajala was born on 13 November 2006.[1] He played academy football for Chelsea before transferring to the West Ham United academy in 2023.[2] He won the U18 Premier League Cup with West Ham in the 2024–25 season.[1] The following season, Ajala was part of the West Ham team that finished as runners-up in the National League Cup, in which he was also the top scorer.[1] He was awarded Premier League 2 player of the month in February 2026.[1]
Club career
[edit]Ajala was first named in the West Ham United first team squad for an FA Cup fourth round match against Burton Albion on 14 February 2026, where he was an unused substitute in the Hammers' 1–0 win.[3] In the 2026–27 season, he was named in the first team season squad by manager Nuno Espírito Santo and assigned the shirt number 66.[4] On 8 August 2026, Ajala made his first team debut as a 98th-minute substitute for Jarrod Bowen in a 3–1 EFL Cup win over Portsmouth.[5]
International career
[edit]Ajala was called up to the England under-19 national team by head coach Will Antwi in September 2024, where he made three appearances in friendlies against Italy, Croatia and Germany.[6][7][8] In November 2025, he was called up to the under-20 team by head coach Ben Futcher where he made an appearance as substitute in a 1–1 friendly draw against Japan.[9] In March 2026, Ajala played in a second friendly for the under-20s against Italy, with the match ending in a 3–3 draw.[10]
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]- As of match played 8 August 2026
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| West Ham United | 2026–27[11] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |||
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 "Joshua Ajala player profile". West Ham United FC. 2026. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
- ↑ "Academy of Football: Josh Ajala". West Ham United FC. 11 September 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
- ↑ "Burton Albion 0-1 West Ham United (aet)". BBC Sport. 14 February 2026. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
- ↑ "West Ham United confirm men's first-team squad numbers for 2026/27 season". West Ham United FC. 6 August 2026. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
- ↑ "Match Report | Two-goal Taty secures Carabao Cup win". West Ham United FC. 8 August 2026. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
- ↑ Veevers, Nicholas (4 September 2024). "Report: England MU19s 2-2 Italy". England Football. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
- ↑ Drury, Adam (7 September 2024). "Report: England MU19s 1-1 Croatia". England Football. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
- ↑ Drury, Adam (10 September 2024). "Report: England MU19s 2-3 Germany". England Football. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
- ↑ Cooper-Smith, Harry (14 November 2025). "Report: England MU20s 1-1 Japan". England Football. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
- ↑ Cooper-Smith, Harry (27 March 2026). "Report: Italy 3-3 England MU20s". England Football. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
- ↑ "Games played by Joshua Ajala in 2026/2027". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
External links
[edit]- Profile on the Premier League website
- Profile on the West Ham United F.C. website