Joey Phuthi joined Sheffield Wednesday after moving to England from Zimbabwe when he was 13 years old.
The young player signed his first professional contract in August 2023 after making an appearance in the first team’s preseason friendly last summer.
On Boxing Day, Phuthi made his senior debut against Coventry City. Two months later, he played in their Cup loss to the Sky Blues. In all competitions, he has also been a substitute that was not utilised five times.
The 19-year-old has made an impression with the U21s for the most of the season. Earlier this week, in a 2-0 victory over Wigan Athletic, he most recently executed a fantastic run to set up a goal for Favour Onukwuli.
Onukwuli, the adaptable winger and teammate, was described as a “clear standout” and has also been likened to Manchester City’s prized player Jeremy Doku in the past.
Joey Phuthi wants to ‘impact’ the first team
According to reports, Phuthi’s efforts in the academy will be rewarded with a new contract extension. Having signed a deal, the Zimbabwean has now disclosed his summer goals.
“I just need to keep working on my end product and stuff like that – as Andy (Holdsworth, U21’s manager) always says – we’ll get there,” Phuthi stated in an interview with The Star. Whether it’s in the first team, the U21s, or the U18s, I constantly aim to get at my opposition’s fullback and feel like he’s going to get the better of me. Favour (Onukwuli) and I are confident against whatever fullback we play against in every single game. My game has always been that.
