 Laurent withBurnley in 2025. | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joshua Ishaele Jacob-Heron Hunt-Laurent[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1995-05-06)6 May 1995 (age 30) | ||
| Place of birth | Leytonstone, England[2] | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[3] | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Burnley | ||
| Number | 29 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Chelsea | |||
| Redbridge | |||
| –2012 | Wycombe Wanderers | ||
| 2012–2013 | Queens Park Rangers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2013–2015 | Queens Park Rangers | 0 | (0) |
| 2014 | →Braintree Town (loan) | 16 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | Brentford | 0 | (0) |
| 2015 | →Newport County (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | Hartlepool United | 28 | (1) |
| 2017–2018 | Wigan Athletic | 1 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | →Bury (loan) | 22 | (1) |
| 2018–2020 | Shrewsbury Town | 73 | (4) |
| 2020–2022 | Reading | 86 | (5) |
| 2022–2024 | Stoke City | 72 | (5) |
| 2024– | Burnley | 65 | (3) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 09:11, 13 February 2026 (UTC) | |||
Joshua Ishaele Jacob-Heron Hunt-Laurent (commonly known asLaurent, born 6 May 1995) is an English professionalfootballer who plays as amidfielder forPremier League clubBurnley.
Laurent began his professional career withQueens Park Rangers in 2013. After a loan spell atBraintree Town he moved on toBrentford in January 2015 and was loaned out toNewport County. In January 2016, Laurent joinedHartlepool United on a free transfer. He went on to play forWigan Athletic,Bury andShrewsbury Town before earning a move to Championship sideReading in July 2020. In his first season with the Royals Laurent won the clubsplayer of the season award. After two years with Reading, Laurent joinedStoke City in June 2022.
Laurent was born inLeytonstone and attendedBeal High School.[4] Laurent began his career in theyouth systems atChelsea,Redbridge (where his father Burt was coach)[5] andWycombe Wanderers and signed a scholarship deal with the latter club in 2011.[6][7] After a trial withPremier League clubLiverpool.[8]
Laurent moved into the academy atQueens Park Rangers prior to the beginning of the2012–13 season.[1] He made 20 appearances in the youth team's victorious 2012–13Professional U18 Development League 2 campaign and played the full 90 minutes of the 1–0 win overHuddersfield Town in the final.[9][10] Laurent signed his first professional contract in May 2013, a one-year deal.[11] Laurent continued to play in the Development Squad through the2013–14 and2014–15 seasons.
Laurent signed forConference Premier sideBraintree Town on a one-month loan on 17 February 2014.[12] He made the first senior appearance of his career with a start in a 2–2 draw withKidderminster Harriers five days later.[13] Laurent won praise for his performances from managerAlan Devonshire and remained atCressing Road for a second month,[14] before departing after his 16th appearance on 12 April.[13]
He departed QPR on 14 January 2015.[2] The departure of Laurent caused a "reaction" atLoftus Road, with the supporters questioning the club's commitment to its younger players.[15] On 23 January, Rangers' Head of Football OperationsLes Ferdinand revealed that he had been unable to convince Laurent that there was a pathway from the Development Squad to the first team.[16]
On 14 January 2015, Laurent moved across WestLondon to sign forChampionship sideBrentford on a one-and-a-half-yearDevelopment Squad deal for an undisclosed fee.[2] Laurent signed forLeague Two sideNewport County on a 28-day youth loan on 19 August 2015,[17] which was later extended to 14 October.[18] He made his debut (the firstFootball League appearance of his career) as a 74th-minute substitute forScott Boden in a 3–2 defeat toLeyton Orient three days later.[19] He made his first start for the club on 1 September,[19] playing the opening 73 minutes of the Exiles'shootout defeat toSwindon Town in theFootball League Trophy first round.[20] Laurent was left out of incoming managerJohn Sheridan's first squad on 3 October and was recalled by Brentford five days later,[19][21] having made four appearances.[22] He made his only first team appearance in theLeague Cup first round versusOxford United on 11 August, playing the full 90 minutes of the 4–0 defeat.[23] Laurent failed to feature in another first team squad before his contract was terminated by mutual consent on 1 February 2016.[24] He made 21 appearances and scored five goals for the Development Squad.[24]
On 1 February 2016, Laurent joined League Two clubHartlepool United on afree transfer.[25][26] Laurent scored his first and only goal for the club in a 3–1 defeat toLeyton Orient on 22 October 2016 and remained with the club until February 2017,[27] by which time he had made 33 appearances.[22]
On 1 February 2017, Laurent joined Championship clubWigan Athletic on a two-and-a-half-year contract for an undisclosed fee.[28] He made just one appearance before the end of the2016–17 season,[28] at the end of which the Latics were relegated to League One.[29] He scored his only goal for Wigan in a 2–1 EFL Cup win againstBlackpool on 8 August 2017.[30] On 31 August 2017,Bury signed Laurent on loan for the rest of the2017–18 season.[31] He played 22 games for the Shakers scoring once as they suffered relegation to League Two.[32]
On 23 July 2018, Laurent joinedLeague One sideShrewsbury Town on a two-year deal.[33] He was a first-team regular during his first season at the club, making a notable contribution in the third-round of theFA Cup, where he both won the penalty that led to Shrewsbury's equaliser and then went on to score the winning goal againstChampionship sideStoke City.[34] Laurent became afree agent after his contract expired at the end of the2019–20 EFL League One season.[35]
On 28 July 2020, Laurent joined Championship clubReading on a two-year contract.[36] He scored his first goal for Reading in a 4–2 win overBlackburn Rovers on 27 October 2020.[37] Laurent made 46 appearances, scoring three goals in2020–21 as the Royals missed out on a play-off position finishing in seventh.[38][39] Prior to Reading's last game of the season, on 8 May 2021, Laurent was announced as the clubsplayer of the season.[40] In2021–22, Laurent played 42 times as Reading struggled at the foot of table, finishing four points above the relegation zone.[41][42]
On 21 June 2022, Laurent joinedStoke City a three-year contract.[43][44] He scored his first goal for Stoke on 29 January 2023 in anFA Cup tie againstStevenage.[45] He scored his first league goals in a 3–1 win againstSwansea City on 21 February 2023.[46] In the2022–23 season, Laurent scored five goals in 36 appearances as Stoke finished in 16th.[47] He was appointed club captain byAlex Neil ahead of the2023–24 season, taking over fromLewis Baker.[48] Laurent made 40 appearances for Stoke in 2023–24 as the team avoided relegation, finishing in 17th.[49][50]
Laurent signed forBurnley on 30 August 2024 for an undisclosed fee on a two-year contract.[51][52]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Braintree Town (loan) | 2013–14[53] | Conference Premier | 16 | 0 | — | — | — | 16 | 0 | |||
| Brentford | 2015–16[23] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
| Newport County (loan) | 2015–16[23] | League Two | 3 | 0 | — | — | 1[a] | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Hartlepool United | 2015–16[23] | League Two | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| 2016–17[27] | League Two | 25 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 30 | 1 | |
| Total | 28 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 1 | ||
| Wigan Athletic | 2016–17[27] | Championship | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2017–18[32] | League One | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 1 | 1[a] | 0 | 3 | 1 | ||
| Total | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | |||
| Bury (loan) | 2017–18[32] | League One | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 22 | 1 | ||
| Shrewsbury Town | 2018–19[54] | League One | 42 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 51 | 4 |
| 2019–20[55] | League One | 31 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4[a] | 0 | 42 | 4 | |
| Total | 73 | 4 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 93 | 8 | ||
| Reading | 2020–21[38] | Championship | 45 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 46 | 3 | |
| 2021–22[41] | Championship | 41 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 42 | 2 | ||
| Total | 86 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 88 | 5 | |||
| Stoke City | 2022–23[56] | Championship | 32 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 36 | 5 | |
| 2023–24[57] | Championship | 37 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | — | 40 | 3 | ||
| 2024–25[58] | Championship | 3 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| Total | 72 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 2 | — | 80 | 8 | |||
| Burnley | 2024–25[58] | Championship | 42 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 44 | 2 | ||
| 2025–26[58] | Premier League | 23 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 26 | 2 | ||
| Total | 65 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 70 | 4 | |||
| Career total | 366 | 19 | 24 | 6 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 411 | 28 | ||
Individual
