Josh Laurent Explained

Josh Laurent
Fullname:Joshua Ishaele Jacob-Heron Laurent
Birth Date:1995 5, df=y
Birth Place:Leytonstone, England
Height:1.88m (06.17feet)[1]
Position:Midfielder
Currentclub:Stoke City
Clubnumber:28
Youthclubs1:Chelsea
Youthclubs2:Redbridge
Youthyears3:–2012
Youthclubs3:Wycombe Wanderers
Youthyears4:2012–2013
Youthclubs4:Queens Park Rangers
Years1:2013–2015
Clubs1:Queens Park Rangers
Caps1:0
Goals1:0
Years2:2014
Clubs2:Braintree Town (loan)
Caps2:16
Goals2:0
Years3:2015–2016
Clubs3:Brentford
Caps3:0
Goals3:0
Years4:2015
Clubs4:Newport County (loan)
Caps4:3
Goals4:0
Years5:2016–2017
Clubs5:Hartlepool United
Caps5:28
Goals5:1
Years6:2017–2018
Clubs6:Wigan Athletic
Caps6:1
Goals6:0
Years7:2017–2018
Clubs7:Bury (loan)
Caps7:22
Goals7:1
Years8:2018–2020
Clubs8:Shrewsbury Town
Caps8:73
Goals8:4
Years9:2020–2022
Clubs9:Reading
Caps9:86
Goals9:5
Years10:2022–
Clubs10:Stoke City
Caps10:71
Goals10:5
Club-Update:16:51, 17 August 2024 (UTC)

Joshua Ishaele Jacob-Heron Laurent (born 6 May 1995) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Stoke City.

Laurent began his professional career with Queens Park Rangers in 2013. After a loan spell at Braintree Town he moved on to Brentford in January 2015 and was loaned out to Newport County. In January 2016, Laurent joined Hartlepool United on a free transfer. He went on to play for Wigan Athletic, Bury and Shrewsbury Town before earning a move to Championship side Reading in July 2020. In his first season with the Royals Laurent won the clubs player of the season award. After two years with Reading, Laurent joined Stoke City in June 2022.

Club career

Early career

Laurent was born in Leytonstone and attended Beal High School.[2] Laurent began his career in the youth systems at Chelsea, Redbridge (where his father Burt was coach)[3] and Wycombe Wanderers and signed a scholarship deal with the latter club in 2011.[4] [5] After a trial with Premier League club Liverpool,[6]

Queens Park Rangers

Laurent moved into the academy at Queens Park Rangers prior to the beginning of the 2012–13 season.[7] made 20 appearances in the youth team's victorious 2012–13 Professional U18 Development League 2 campaign and played the full 90 minutes of the 1–0 win over Huddersfield Town in the final.[8] [9] Laurent signed his first professional contract in May 2013, a one-year deal.[10] Laurent continued to play in the Development Squad through the 2013–14 and 2014–15 seasons.

Laurent signed for Conference Premier side Braintree Town on a one-month loan on 17 February 2014.[11] He made the first senior appearance of his career with a start in a 2–2 draw with Kidderminster Harriers five days later. Laurent won praise for his performances from manager Alan Devonshire and remained at Cressing Road for a second month,[12] before departing after his 16th appearance on 12 April.

He departed QPR on 14 January 2015.[13] The departure of Laurent caused a "reaction" at Loftus Road, with the supporters questioning the club's commitment to its younger players.[14] On 23 January, Rangers' Head of Football Operations Les Ferdinand revealed that he had been unable to convince Laurent that there was a pathway from the Development Squad to the first team.[15]

Brentford

On 14 January 2015, Laurent moved across West London to sign for Championship side Brentford on a one-and-a-half-year Development Squad deal for an undisclosed fee. Laurent signed for League Two side Newport County on a 28-day youth loan on 19 August 2015,[16] which was later extended to 14 October.[17] He made his debut (the first Football League appearance of his career) as a 74th-minute substitute for Scott Boden in a 3–2 defeat to Leyton Orient three days later. He made his first start for the club on 1 September,[18] playing the opening 73 minutes of the Exiles' shootout defeat to Swindon Town in the Football League Trophy first round.[19] Laurent was left out of incoming manager John Sheridan's first squad on 3 October and was recalled by Brentford five days later,[20] having made four appearances. He made his only first team appearance in the League Cup first round versus Oxford United on 11 August, playing the full 90 minutes of the 4–0 defeat. Laurent failed to feature in another first team squad before his contract was terminated by mutual consent on 1 February 2016.[21] He made 21 appearances and scored five goals for the Development Squad.

Hartlepool United

On 1 February 2016, Laurent joined League Two club Hartlepool United on a free transfer.[22] [23] Laurent scored his first and only goal for the club in a 3–1 defeat to Leyton Orient on 22 October 2016 and remained with the club until February 2017, by which time he had made 33 appearances.[24]

Wigan Athletic

On 1 February 2017, Laurent joined Championship club Wigan Athletic on a two-and-a-half-year contract for an undisclosed fee.[25] He made just one appearance before the end of the 2016–17 season, at the end of which the Latics were relegated to League One.[26] He scored his only goal for Wigan in a 2–1 EFL Cup win against Blackpool on 8 August 2017. On 31 August 2017, Bury signed Laurent on loan for the rest of the 2017–18 season.[27] He played 22 games for the Shakers scoring once as they suffered relegation to League Two.

Shrewsbury Town

On 23 July 2018, Laurent joined League One side Shrewsbury Town on a two-year deal.[28] He was a first-team regular during his first season at the club, making a notable contribution in the third-round of the FA Cup, where he both won the penalty that led to Shrewsbury's equaliser and then went on to score the winning goal against Championship side Stoke City.[29] Laurent became a free agent after his contract expired at the end of the 2019–20 EFL League One season.[30]

Reading

On 28 July 2020, Laurent joined Championship club Reading on a two-year contract.[31] He scored his first goal for Reading in a 4–2 win over Blackburn Rovers on 27 October 2020.[32] Laurent made 46 appearances, scoring three goals in 2020–21 as the Royals missed out on a play-off position finishing in seventh.[33] Prior to Reading's last game of the season, on 8 May 2021, Laurent was announced as the clubs player of the season.[34] In 2021–22, Laurent played 42 times as Reading struggled at the foot of table, finishing four points above the relegation zone.[35]

Stoke City

On 21 June 2022, Laurent joined Stoke City a three-year contract.[36] [37] He scored his first goal for Stoke on 29 January 2023 in an FA Cup tie against Stevenage.[38] He scored his first league goals in a 3–1 win against Swansea City on 21 February 2023.[39] In the 2022–23 season, Laurent scored five goals in 36 appearances as Stoke finished in 16th.[40] He was appointed club captain by Alex Neil ahead of the 2023–24 season, taking over from Lewis Baker.[41] Laurent made 40 appearances for Stoke in 2023–24 as the team avoided relegation, finishing in 17th.[42] [43]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Queens Park Rangers2013–14Championship00000000
2014–15Premier League00000000
Total0000000!0
Braintree Town (loan)2013–14Conference Premier16000160
Brentford2015–16Championship00001010
Newport County (loan)2015–16League Two3000001040
Hartlepool United2015–16League Two3000000030
2016–17League Two251201020301
Total281201020331
Wigan Athletic2016–17Championship10000010
2017–18League One0000211031
Total1000211041
Bury (loan)2017–18League One221000000221
Shrewsbury Town2018–19League One422721010514
2019–20League One312720040424
Total7341441050938
Reading2020–21Championship4530010463
2021–22Championship4121000422
Total865101088!5
Stoke City2022–23Championship3243110365
2023–24Championship3710032403
2024–25Championship20001030
Total715315279!8
Career total300162051139034024

Honours

Individual

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Josh Laurent . Stoke City F.C. . live . 19 August 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220819192749/https://www.stokecityfc.com/players/first-team/joshlaurent . 19 August 2022.
  2. Web site: Former Beal Students – FA Cup 2018/2019 . bealhighschool.co.uk . 7 July 2022.
  3. Web site: BURT LAURENT . redbridgefc.co.uk . 7 July 2022.
  4. Web site: Laurent is a Wanderer – News – Under 17's (EJA Essex) – Redbridge Football Club. www.pitchero.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304080347/http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/redbridge/teams/18807/news/laurent-is-a-wanderer-328686.html. 4 March 2016. dead. 9 July 2015.
  5. Web site: Wycombe Wanderers Youth Team Info [www.CHAIRBOYS.co.uk]]. www.chairboys.co.uk. 9 July 2015.
  6. Web site: LIVERWEB – Liverpool FC A to Z . www.liverweb.org.uk . 9 July 2015 . usurped . https://web.archive.org/web/20080224154124/http://www.liverweb.org.uk/atoz.asp?atozpage=L . 24 February 2008 .
  7. Web site: Premier League Clubs submit Squad Lists. https://web.archive.org/web/20120907011428/http://www.premierleague.com/content/dam/premierleague/site-content/News/publications/squad-lists/Squad-Lists-September-2012.pdf. 7 September 2012. 9 July 2015.
  8. Web site: Under-21 profiles. https://web.archive.org/web/20130812073732/http://www.qpr.co.uk/team/under21s/under21-profiles/. 12 August 2013. 12 August 2013. 9 July 2015.
  9. Web site: Huddersfield Town U18s downed by QPR penalty in play-off final. 9 July 2015. Mel. Booth. 16 May 2013.
  10. Web site: Under-18s pen pro deals. www.qpr.co.uk. 9 July 2015.
  11. Web site: Braintree loan Laurent. www.qpr.co.uk. 9 July 2015.
  12. Web site: Braintree Town boss hails QPR and Watford loanees. 9 July 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150924002348/http://www.essexchronicle.co.uk/Braintree-Town-boss-hails-QPR-Watford-loanees/story-20735141-detail/story.html. 24 September 2015. dead.
  13. Web site: Queens Park Rangers midfield player Josh Laurent joins Brentford on a Development Squad contract . Chapman . Mark . www.brentfordfc.co.uk . 9 July 2015 . 5 February 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170205051554/http://www.brentfordfc.co.uk/news/article/brentford-sign-josh-laurent-from-queens-park-rangers-2202683.aspx . dead .
  14. Web site: QPR manager Harry Redknapp must stop playing blame game – if Hoops go down it's nobody's fault but his own. 9 July 2015.
  15. Web site: Les Ferdinand explains how QPR's reputation will change. www.qpr.co.uk. 9 July 2015.
  16. Web site: Josh Laurent signs for Newport County on loan. Brentford FC. brentfordfc.co.uk. 19 August 2015. 3 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303142241/http://www.brentfordfc.co.uk//news/article/josh-laurent-newport-county-loan-19.08.15-2631881.aspx. dead.
  17. Web site: Josh Laurent extends Newport County loan. www.brentfordfc.co.uk. 16 September 2015. Brentford. FC. 3 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303103339/http://www.brentfordfc.co.uk//news/article/josh-laurent-newport-county-loan-extended-16.08.15-2693596.aspx. dead.
  18. Web site: Joshua Laurent Player Profile – ESPN FC . www.espnfc.com . 2 September 2015.
  19. News: Newport 1–1 Swindon (6–7 on pens). BBC. 2 September 2015.
  20. Web site: Josh Laurent recalled from Newport County loan. www.brentfordfc.co.uk. 12 October 2015. 4 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304192216/http://www.brentfordfc.co.uk/news/article/josh-laurent-recalled-from-newport-county-loan-09.10.15-2735999.aspx. dead.
  21. Web site: Josh Laurent leaves Brentford . FC . Brentford . www.brentfordfc.co.uk . 1 February 2016 . 8 April 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160408183550/http://www.brentfordfc.co.uk/news/article/josh-laurent-leaves-brentford-01.02.16-2930893.aspx . dead .
  22. Web site: Hartlepool United sign midfielder Josh Laurent on undisclosed deal . BBC Sport . 28 July 2023.
  23. News: Josh Laurent Makes Move To Pools . Brentford FC . 1 February 2016 . 1 February 2016 . 26 May 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170526224256/http://www.hartlepoolunited.co.uk/news/article/former-qpr-and-brentford-star-josh-laurent-signs-for-hartlepool-2932979.aspx . dead .
  24. Web site: Josh Laurent . www.soccerbase.com . 10 August 2017.
  25. Web site: First Team – Midfielder – Josh Laurent . www.wiganathletic.com . en-gb . 10 August 2017.
  26. Web site: Football Club History Database – Wigan Athletic. fchd.info. 10 August 2017.
  27. Web site: Josh Laurent signs for Bury . Sky Sports . 2 February 2023.
  28. Web site: Josh Laurent: Shrewsbury Town sign Wigan Athletic midfielder. 21 July 2018. 23 July 2018. BBC Sport.
  29. Web site: FA Cup third round: Stoke City 2-3 Shrewsbury. BBC Sport. 15 January 2019. 11 June 2019.
  30. News: James . Ben . Cardiff and Swansea set to be beaten to Josh Laurent signing by Reading . 28 July 2020 . walesonline . 25 July 2020.
  31. Web site: ️ Josh Laurent is a Royal! . readingfc.co.uk/ . Reading F.C. . 28 July 2020 . 28 July 2020.
  32. Web site: Blackburn 2-4 Reading . 27 October 2020 . BBC. 27 October 2020.
  33. Web site: Reading 2–2 Swansea City . BBC Sport . 30 July 2023.
  34. Web site: Josh Laurent voted your 2020/21 Player of the Season! . readingfc.co.uk/ . Reading F.C. . 8 May 2021 . 8 May 2021.
  35. Web site: Hull City 3–0 Reading . BBC Sport . 30 July 2023.
  36. News: Welcoming Josh . Stoke City . 21 June 2022.
  37. Web site: Stoke City: Reading midfielder Josh Laurent joins Potters on three-year contract . BBC Sport . 29 July 2023.
  38. News: Stoke 3-1 Stevenage. . 29 January 2023 . 30 January 2023.
  39. Web site: Swansea 1-3 Stoke City: Josh Laurent scores twice in impressive Potters comeback . BBC Sport . 29 July 2023.
  40. Web site: Stoke City end of season player ratings for 32-man squad . Stoke Sentinel . 13 May 2023.
  41. Web site: Josh Laurent named Stoke City club captain . Stoke City . 4 August 2023.
  42. Web site: Smith . Pete . Pete Smith's Stoke City end of season player ratings for 35-man squad . Stoke Sentinel . 17 May 2024.
  43. Web site: Southampton 0-1 Stoke City . BBC Sport . 17 May 2024.