With the loan deal set to expire at the end of last month, Josh King decided to extend his stay in NE11 until the end of the calendar year, and he is loving his time at the club so far.

"It's been great. The lads have been very welcoming since day one, so I've enjoyed every minute so far.

"I’ve enjoyed playing at Dunston, so it was an easy decision for me to extend the loan. I just want to play as many games as I can." King said.

The 23-year-old defender signed for Morpeth in July 2022. Before that, he was at York City since 2019, where he played a good amount of games, and was also a part of the Minstermen's squad that achieved promotion back to the National League in May 2022. King has discussed his time in professional football and playing at a high level with York City.

"Playing professionally was a dream for me. Playing with lads who have had careers in the Championship like Clayton Donaldson allows you to learn quickly under people who have played at the top levels.

"It was a great experience for the three years I was at the club which I will never forget."

As a young professional playing in step 2 of the non-league pyramid, King also developed partnerships and relationships which helped massively in terms of his development as a footballer.

"In my time at York City, there was a few players who helped with my development such as Steve McNulty. 

"He was an experienced centre half who played for Luton, Fleetwood, and Tranmere. So, to play alongside him really helped me with my game." King said.

Still only 23-years-old, the talented centre half still has aspirations of making his way back into the professional game one day.

"I would like to get back into the professional game. I know how hard it is and how dedicated you have to be to get there and stay there. So, it’s always a dream to get back playing professionally."

By Callum Pattison

Image Credit - Beauty Time Photography