Should Manchester United regret letting Josh King leave the club?
Bournemouth’s Joshua King in action
Josh King’s exit from Manchester United in 2013 barely made a footnote of news.
Let go midway through Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season at Old Trafford, King departed with just two first team appearances to his name, signing with Blackburn.
After uninspiring loan spells, a career in the Football League beckoned, potentially following the likes of ex-United academy forwards like Sylvain Ebanks Blake and Frazier Campbell.
King has gone on to go one better, establishing himself as a genuine Premier League talent.
Bournemouth’s Joshua King celebrates with the match ball
He has netted 15 top flight goals for Bournemouth this season, relegating Sunderland with his strike at the weekend, moving on from an underwhelming campaign a year ago where he scored only six.
The Norwegian striker is getting better and better, and former footballer Tony Cascarino has claimed he is looking like a brighter talent than England’s former golden boy Jack Wilshere.
He told The Times: “Josh King and Jack Wilshere, of Bournemouth, are the same age but their careers are heading in different directions. While Jack is drifting, Josh is improving more than any player I can remember in the top flight.
“He has a bit of everything — he can finish, run in behind, hold the ball up and while he is not the tallest at 5ft 9in he is good in the air as well.
“People say that players cannot improve after a certain age but King is proof that you can. The only downside for Bournemouth now is that they will probably struggle to keep hold of him.”
Fallen star… Bournemouth’s Jack Wilshere
King’s goal poaching has been just what Manchester United have lacked this season.
He would not have reached his potential sitting in the club’s reserves, but if they did decide to take a chance on bringing him back, then he is better equipped than he ever was to handle the pressure.
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