Congratulations Josh Cullen, you’ve earned a spot at West Ham

West Ham academy graduate Josh Cullen has just won promotion to the Championship with loan team Charlton Athletic! His success in League One has certainly earned him a tryout for the West Ham midfield.

The lynchpin in the Charlton Midfield. The heartbeat of Brentford a year prior. Josh Cullen is proving then when he’s given a chance, he is a difference maker. The West Ham midfield may be full of players right now, but Cullen has earned a look for a senior spot now.

Front row, left side of the sign, grabbing the trophy and celebrating with it. If his celebration indicates anything, it’s his importance to the team as a front-and-center player. While not on the scoresheet often, Cullen whipped in the ball for the winning goal.

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The intelligence on the play was better than the play itself. Cullen, who was walking back to the ball along the near touchline, calls for it to be taken quickly and runs down the wing catching the defenders out of position. After laying it off and receiving it back, Cullen dribbles to create some space and sends a tasty ball to the back post. The initial chance is scuffed but in the 94th minute, Bauer sends it home for the win.

Cullen isn’t going to be a string puller like Lanzini is, nor is he a defensive wizard like Rice is proving to be. Look to Mark Noble for a future comparison. Cullen’s biggest attributes are his heart and his intelligence when he plays, exactly the same as Mr. West Ham.

He’s been written off because of his age and failure to make an impact at the Premier League level with just three games at that level. At 23-years-old, Cullen isn’t a spring chicken like Powell or Coventry. What he does offer is experience through multiple tiers of English football.

He has 84 games in League One and 12 games in the Championship. His biggest competition, Powell and Coventry, have neither and are candidates to leave on loans hopefully to follow the footsteps of Cullen while he tries to make the senior team.

What else can you ask of this player? He’s played and captained in the Development Squad in Premier League 2, gone out on loan to the Championship (half season), and to League One, and been integral parts of all of these teams. It’s creeping towards decision time on the future of Josh Cullen, but his success this year should mean he gets a serious look.

Congratulations, Josh Cullen! Let’s hope this is the start of something special!