THERE WAS GUSHING praise for Josh Cullen from his manager over the weekend after the Republic of Ireland midfielder helped Charlton Athletic to move further away from relegation danger.
Cullen played a starring role in a 1-0 win over Queens Park Rangers, which leaves his side three points clear of the drop zone in the Championship.
The diminutive midfielder has made a big impression at Charlton, where he’s been on loan from West Ham United since August 2018.
In January, he confirmed that West Ham have triggered the option of an extra year on his deal, which keeps him contracted to the Premier League club until the summer of 2021.
In his 59th appearance for Charlton, Cullen’s corner provided the assist for Darren Pratley’s winning goal against QPR on Saturday.
Afterwards, Lee Bowyer – the former Leeds United midfielder who played nearly 400 Premier League games – was thrilled with the contribution of the former Republic of Ireland U21 captain.
“Josh Cullen has been excellent for the two years he has been working with me,” Bowyer told Football London. “Every single game he’s outstanding, very rarely does he do anything wrong.
“Again he protected the back four so well in the middle of the park. Josh doesn’t really give the ball away. He tidies things up, he breaks things up well. He was outstanding.
“I’m really pleased with the way he has progressed as a player in the last two years. He has come a long way, I think. He has come so far that he has played for his country at the highest level. It proves he is doing the right things. Today was no different.”
Cullen marked his senior Ireland debut with a man-of-the-match performance against Bulgaria last September. The 24-year-old impressed again in November when he earned his second cap against New Zealand.
He has made nine first-team appearances for West Ham, as well as having previous loan spells at Bradford City and Bolton Wanderers.
After introducing him to the international stage, former Ireland manager Mick McCarthy said of Cullen: “He’s technically very good and a tough little sod. He puts his foot in and stands his ground. You wouldn’t think he’s a little fella that gets knocked around. He handles the ball particularly well. He’s got good legs and gets around the pitch.”
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
