Josh Nichols brought joy to his Nigerian mother after making his debut for Arsenal in a pre-season friendly against Bournemouth on July 25, 2024.
Nichols was introduced in the 78th minute by Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, with the youngster replacing defender Ben White.
Which Game Did Josh Nichols Make His Debut For Arsenal?
The encounter which Josh Nichols featured was Arsenal’s first preseason game for the summer of 2024 and it was played at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, United States.
The North London side locked horns with familiar English opposition, Bournemouth, in a highly competitive affair.
Arsenal settled for a 1-1 draw with the Cherries at the end of regulation time, with Fabio Vieira scoring for the Gunners in the 18th minute.
Seventeen minutes before the expiration of normal time, Antoine Semenyo equalized for Andoni Iraola’s side.
The match subsequently headed straight to penalties and Arsenal came out victorious 5-4 following the duel.
Meanwhile, Josh Nichols wasn’t amongst the penalty takers, but he made his mother who was watching on from the crowd proud.
Following the encounter between Arsenal and Bournemouth, Nichols’ mother was caught on camera relishing the moment and informing the cameraman that the prodigy was her son.
Who Is Josh Nichols?
Josh Nichols was born on July 26, 2006, in Newham, London, to a Jamaican and Guyanese father.
Nichols’ mother is Nigerian and he is eligible to play for four countries internationally, namely; England, Nigeria, Guyana, and Jamaica.
The 18-year-old recently signed his first senior professional contract with Arsenal, having made 31 appearances for the club’s academy in the 2023/24 season.
Josh Nichols is a full-back, who can operate on the right or the left and the length of the contract he recently signed is unknown.
Nichols can also be utilized in the right midfield department and it will be interesting to see if manager Arteta will accommodate him into Arsenal’s first team in the 2024/25 season.
Speaking on signing his first senior professional contract, the defender tagged it as a “dream come true”, saying:
“It’s a dream come true. I’ve been working to get this pro contract ever since I was a little boy, so I’m really glad to sign. I’ve been a fan since I was a little boy and this is my boyhood club.”
He also noted the contribution of his parents thus far in his career, adding:
“My parents have been a very big part of my career, taking me to training. They’re there for me.”
Reports indicate that Nichols played for the youth teams of several English clubs, including Chelsea and Tottenham, before joining the Gunners.
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta’s side trade tackles with Manchester United next in their 2024 summer pre-season, with the encounter scheduled for July 28, 2024.
The North London side also battle Liverpool, Bayer Leverkusen, and Olympique Lyon on August 1, 7 , and 11 respectively.
Arsenal commence the 2024/25 Premier League season on August 17, 2024, with a home game against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
They will be hoping for better fortunes this campaign, having narrowly lost the league title to Manchester City last season.
