Fulham FC is London’s oldest football club, having been founded in 1879. 

A huge amount has changed between then and now, and while hairstyles, tactics and pitch conditions are the drastic changes, one area that has taken on a quieter revolution is the academy. 

There’s no specific timeline for when the academy was established, but the first date recorded that saw one of their academy players’ graduate was 1998, and over the years they have produced some pretty good talents. Well, that’s possibly what the highlight reels want you to believe… 

Names like Zat Knight and Sean Davis will stand out to you if you are obsessed with googling random players or collecting forgotten Fulham player shirts like Pokémon cards!  

But the biggest milestone occurred on the 30th of July 2012, when Fulham announced that their academy had been awarded Category One status under the new Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP).  

The club has managed to cement this status and has been developing the highest level of talent ever since.  

From recent times, Ryan Sessegnon, Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho are all stars that you must have heard of, unless you have been living under a rock for the past 10 years! 

Fulham academy continues to produce up-and-coming talents year in, year out, and recently, there have been two standout players who are lighting up the youth system like a floodlit Craven Cottage on a foggy night – Luc De Fougerolles and Josh King. 

Luc De Fougerolles is one Canadian centre-back who has been as determined as a toddler trying to reach the cookie tin off the top shelf – relentless, committed, and completely underrated. 

His impressive performances earned him a first-team call-up last season, and his rise has been everything but accidental! For the centre back, Fulham isn’t just a place to play football; it’s also a second home. 

“This is a family club,” he says. “It’s the main thing I looked for when continuing with the Cottagers.” 

This family feel is rooted deep within the club, as many of Fulham’s coaches rise through the ranks alongside their players. 

“Loads of the coaches that I still use now, like Jos, he was my under 9’s coach, and he’s kind of come up with me, so the coaches kind of stay in the same system and work up with us. 

All the coaches I’m with now I’ve been working with my whole life, which is also really nice. They know me as a person and a player, so I can always talk to them, and it’s not just about football, but as I said, it’s nice growing up with them and playing football with them.” 

Andrew Joslin, who is the assistant manager of the under-21s of Fulham academy, has seen De Fougerolles rise through the ranks, from the age of nine, right up to the modern day; he’s basically seen him through every awkward teenage phase and bad haircut! 

Reasons why De Fougerolles has made significant development from that young child with a dream to regularly being around the first team are all down to one specific attribute that sets him apart from the rest, according to Joslin. 

“The underpinning reason why he’s made improvements from under 9’s to under 21’s is his mentality. He’s somebody that’s got a really strong thirst for learning; he wants to get better, and he’s happy to drive his own development. He doesn’t necessarily need the coaches or support staff to be pushing him on a day-to-day basis.” 

Unfortunately, De Fougerolles picked up a knee injury at the back end of 2024 which put the brakes on his momentum. Although he required surgery and will be out till the end of April, De Fougerolles had the chance to take a break from a busy period of his life. 

“It’s tough finding out that you’re not going to play football for months; it just shows how things can change so quickly in football, and it shows how precious playing is.  

My body got a rest, and it has been a tough few years training every day, but I can see the positives it has brought as my body is feeling better now.” 

While De Fougerolles commands the backline, Josh King adds finesse and flair in the middle of the park. He’s an attacking midfielder that glides through the pitch like a penguin on ice, though King does it with more style! 

The Englishman has been at the academy from an early age, just like De Fougerolles, and King knows the price it pays to be part of an academy set-up.  

“It’s a lot of sacrifices and a lot of time spent, not just from me but from my parents travelling, like taking me to games, so yeah, I’d probably say the time put into it and the effort and commitment is probably the most important thing.” 

Fulham were the first team to offer King a professional contract, and he was more than elated, claiming he’d “never played for another team” and “Fulham till I die!”  

Basically, he’s that one friend that everyone has who exclaims they won’t leave the pub until closing time… Then stays for another round! Loyal to the core. Hard to shift. Never a plan B! 

Like De Fougerolles, King has that one coach who has seen him rise through the ranks.  

Colin Omogbehin is a current first-team coach who has been in the academy setup for many years previously.  

He’s been very impressed with the Fulham midfielder, just as impressed as someone who switched from a Samsung to an iPhone and realised, “Where has this been all my life?” 

“He’s got the ability to handle the ball, to be brave, to go and take the ball in any given situation, so that’s an outstanding attribute. He also has great understanding; you can tell him information, and he’ll take it on board, and he’ll try and replicate that in a match situation.” 

Fulham academy isn’t just a place full of talent; it encompasses the key values of togetherness, progress, and identity that allow talent-gifted players like De Fougerolles and King to be awarded first-team football. 

From academy prospects to future stars under the lights of Craven Cottage, these two youngsters aren’t just knocking on the first-team door… 

They’re about to kick it wide open!