Sydney FC left-back Joel King ended the 2020/21 regular season in flying form to help the Sky Blues approach the Finals Series with confidence, earning the May/June nomination for Young Footballer of the Year in the process.
The 20-year-old defender contributed to four clean sheets across seven games throughout May and June, beginning the month with a loss and a draw before joining his side on a five-game winning streak.
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King has featured 26 times for the Sky Blues for the second season running in a consistent start to his burgeoning professional career. Playing on the left of a defensive unit featuring the likes of Alex Wilkinson, Ryan McGowan, Rhyan Grant and goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne has helped King flourish into one of the brightest young stars in Australia.
From May to June 2021, King made six 90-minute appearances and put on one 75-minute shift in a 4-1 win over Adelaide United on the road. King had an average of 77.71 touches throughout those seven games, playing just over 54 passes per game at an average accuracy of 85.76%.
The four shut-outs along the seven-game stretch came against Western United, Melbourne Victory, Western Sydney Wanderers and Brisbane Roar. The Roar clash was Sydney’s last of the A-League campaign, and Steve Corica’s side came into the fixture without Redmayne, Grand and McGowan who had departed for Socceroos duty. King, however, excelled in a makeshift Sky Blues defence, as his side won 2-0 away from home to head into the Finals Series full of confidence.
With the Socceroos trio missing for the remainder of the season, King will play a vital role in a Sydney side chasing a third-straight A-League Championship. But if the consistent young full-back has shown anything throughout the past two seasons, it’s that he’s more than up for the challenge.
