Joshua Laqeretabua

Joshua Laqeretabua

Personal information
Full name	Joshua Laqeretabua [1]
Date of birth	(2005-09-26) 26 September 2005 (age 19)
Place of birth	England
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Defender
Team information
Current team	Charlton Athletic
Number	38
Youth career
2013–2023	Charlton Athletic
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2023–	Charlton Athletic	2	(0)
International career‡
2023–	Fiji U20	2	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:10, 3 December 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17:10, 9 October 2023 (UTC)

Joshua Laqeretabua (born 26 September 2005) is a Fijian footballer who currently plays for League One club Charlton Athletic. He is a Fiji youth international. ^[2]

Club career

Laqeretabua joined the academy of Charlton Athletic at the under-9 level. He won the 2022–23 league championship with the under-18 side. In July 2023, he signed his first professional contract with the club, a two-year deal. ^{[3] [4]}

Laqeretabua made his competitive debut for Charlton's senior side on 5 September 2023 in a 3–4 2023–24 EFL Trophy loss to Crawley Town. ^{[5] [6]}

Laqeretabua made his first League One appearance for Charlton on 26 November 2024 – coming off the bench in the 87th minute – in a 1–0 win away at Burton Albion. ^[7]

On 13 January 2025, Laqeretabua signed a new long-term contract with the Charlton Athletic, putting pen-to-paper on a three-and-a-half year deal keeping him at the club until 2028 with the addition of a club option of an extra year. ^{[8] [9]}

International career

Laqeretabua's parents are from Fiji's Tailevu Province. In 2022, he was identified as one of the promising Fijian footballers who would make up the next generation of the country's national team. ^[10] In February 2023, at age seventeen, he accepted a call-up to the Fiji under-20 team for a training camp ahead of the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, despite being on the radar of the English FA. ^{[11] [12]} About the call up, Laqeretabua said, "It has always been my dream to be called up to play for my parents' country of birth." ^{[13] [14]} He went on to be part of Fiji's final squad for the tournament, making two appearances. ^{[15] [16] [17]}

Career statistics

As of match played 10 December 2024

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		EFL Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Charlton Athletic	2023–24 [18]	League One	0	0	0	0	0	0	2 [a]	0	2	0
	2024–25 [19]	League One	2	0	1	0	0	0	3 [b]	0	6	0
	Charlton Athletic total		2	0	1	0	0	0	5	0	8	0
Career total			2	0	1	0	0	0	5	0	8	0

1. Two appearances in the EFL Trophy
2. Three appearances in the EFL Trophy

References

1. "Club List of Registered Players as at September 2024" (PDF). English Football League. p. 58 and 59. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
2. "Soccerway profile". Soccerway. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
3. Matairakula, Talei. "Laqeretabua signs first professional contract". Fijian Broadcasting Corportation. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
4. "Joshua Laqeretabua Signs First Pro Deal". Charlton Athletic FC. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
5. Kelly, John. "Charlton to Make Break Count". South London Weekly. p. 38. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
6. Mail, Harry. "Charlton Athletic caretaker boss reacts to attacker injury boost". The 72. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
7. "Burton Albion 0-1 Charlton Athletic". BBC Sport . Retrieved 26 November 2024.
8. "Josh Laqeretabua signs new long-term contract". Charlton Athletic FC. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
9. "Charlton Athletic extend academy defender Josh Laqeretabua". BBC Sport. 13 January 2025.
10. "Fiji's football youth revolution is on". The Roar. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
11. "Under-20 World Cup: a guide to players and coaches to look out for". Inside Port Harcourt. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
12. Nair, Krishneel. "Josh Laqeretabua and Semi Nabenu have been invited to join Fiji U20- Reddy". Fiji Village. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
13. Nasokia, Waisea. "Josh Laqeretabua Ready To Relish Opportunity". The Fiji Sun. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
14. "Josh Laqeretabua on Fiji U20s call up". Charlton Athletic FC. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
15. Saltori, Rafael. "Fijian youngster Josh Laqeretabua signs his first professional contract in England". Oceania Football Center. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
16. Cawley, Richard. "Highly-rated Charlton Athletic defender – who played at U20 World Cup – signs two-year professional deal". London News Online. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
17. "Ademola Lookman 2.0? 4 Charlton Athletic Players Who Could Be the Next Big Stars to Emerge". One Football. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
18. "Games played by Joshua Laqeretabua in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
19. "Games played by Joshua Laqeretabua in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 9 October 2023.

External links

• Joshua Laqeretabua at Global Sports Archive
• Joshua Laqeretabua at Soccerbase
• Joshua Laqeretabua at Soccerway
• Charlton Athletic profile