Junior Bula Boys defender Josh Laqeretabua has signed his first professional contract with Charlton Athletic AFC also known as ‘The Addicks’, an English professional football club in London that competes in EFL League One.
The 17-year-old, who joined the club at Under 9 level, was part of the U18s’ title-winning side in 2022/23 and recently represented Fiji at the Under 20 World Cup in Argentina.
After putting pen-to-paper on his two-year deal, Laqeretabua said: “I’m really grateful for the opportunity and now I just can’t wait to get my career kick-started. Hopefully, I can get into the U21s team consistently next season and make a few first-team appearances.”
Academy Director Steve Avory added that Laqeretabua is an outstanding defender and will be a player to look out for in the team.
“He had a bit of an interrupted season last season unfortunately in his first year as a scholar with injury, but he gradually overcame that as the season progressed and proved what a good player he is.”
“I think he’s very much on the radar with England but because his family is Fijian, he was recently recognised by Fiji and had an amazing experience at the U20 World Cup. It was a great challenge for him to come up against the likes of Ecuador and USA in the group stages.”
