| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joey Phuthi [1] | ||
| Date of birth | 2 January 2005 | ||
| Place of birth | Harare, Zimbabwe [2] | ||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Eastbourne Borough | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2017–2018 | Wincobank Juniors | ||
| 2018–2023 | Sheffield Wednesday | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2023–2025 | Sheffield Wednesday | 1 | (0) |
| 2025– | Eastbourne Borough | 5 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2024– | Zimbabwe | 2 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16:08, 25 August 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 09:00, 1 July 2024 (UTC) | |||
Joey Phuthi (born 2 January 2005) is a Zimbabwean professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for National League South club Eastbourne Borough.
Phuthi moved from his native Zimbabwe to England at the age of 12. He began playing football with Wincobank Juniors, before moving to the academy of Sheffield Wednesday at 13 and worked his way up their youth categories. [3] He was promoted to their U21s on 14 July 2021 on a scholarship deal, [4] and in the summer of 2023 he joined the senior team for preseason. [5] On 29 August 2023 he signed his first professional contract with Sheffield Wednesday. [2] He made his senior and professional debut with Sheffield Wednesday as a substitute in a 2–0 English Football League loss to Coventry City on 26 December 2023. [6] The option was taken up on his contract to extend his deal at Sheffield Wednesday for another year in May 2024. [7] He was released from his contract following the end of the 2024–25 season. [8] Following his release at Sheffield Wednesday, former teammate Josh Windass would rant about Phuthi on a podcast after a reaction Phuthi gave Windass in training, comparing himself to Lionel Messi as he doesn't run more than 10k a game. [9] [10]
On 20 June 2025, Eastbourne Borough announced the signing of Phuthi, from 1 July 2025 once his Sheffield Wednesday contract has expired. [11] He made his debut on the opening day of the season, coming off the bench against Farnborough, which finished 1–1. [12]
On 12 March 2024, Phuthi was called up to the full Zimbabwe squad to play in the Malawi Four Nations Tournament. [13] He made his international debut for Zimbabwe against Kenya on 26 March 2024. [14]
Phuthi is a versatile pacey player who can play as right-back, left-back, or as a winger. [15] [16]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sheffield Wednesday | 2023–24 [17] | Championship | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | |
| 2024–25 [18] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Eastbourne Borough | 2025–26 [19] | National League South | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 5 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zimbabwe | 2024 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 0 | |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)