Joshua Ajala

Joshua Ajala (born 13 November 2006) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for club West Ham United. He is an England youth international.

Early life and youth career Ajala was born on 13 November 2006 in the London Borough of Redbridge. He played academy football for Chelsea before transferring to the West Ham United academy in 2023. He won the U18 Premier League Cup with West Ham in the 2024–25 season. In the 2026–27 season, he was named in the first team season squad by manager Nuno Espírito Santo and assigned the shirt number 66. On 8 August 2026, Ajala made his first team debut as a 98th-minute substitute for Jarrod Bowen in a 3–1 EFL Cup win over Portsmouth. On 25 August, Ajala started in a 4–1 win over Southampton in the EFL Cup, in which he scored two goals before being replaced by Manor Solomon in the 59th minute.

International career Born in England, Ajala is of Nigerian descent. He was called up to the England under-19 national team by head coach Will Antwi in September 2024, where he made three appearances in friendlies against Italy, Croatia and Germany. In November 2025, he was called up to the under-20 team by head coach Ben Futcher where he made an appearance as substitute in a 1–1 friendly draw against Japan. In March 2026, Ajala played in a second friendly for the under-20s against Italy, with the match ending in a 3–3 draw.

Career statistics Club