From España and Back, Joshua Moleje Continues to Chase What’s Next

Joshua Moleje was once the young footballer everyone was talking about after earning an opportunity with Spanish club Levante. Now, back home, the 17-year-old continues to show why he has long been regarded as one of the Philippines’ most promising young talents. 

We all remember Joshua Moleje.

The young footballer from Bacolod who made waves in Manila, earned an opportunity with Spanish club Levante, and quickly found himself being talked about as one of the Philippines’ most promising young players.

Then came the inevitable question: Where is Moleje now?

The answer is simple: still here. Still working. Still moving forward.

Before making the trip to Spain, Moleje made a decision that meant putting his own opportunity on hold. Rather than leaving for Levante in 2024, he chose to stay with UST and finish the season with his teammates.

The decision paid off.

Moleje helped UST end a 12-year championship drought, creating a piece of history with the team before finally heading to Spain in 2025.

For Moleje, it was a reminder that football is not always about taking the next opportunity immediately. Sometimes, it is about finishing what you started.

Where It All Started

For Moleje, the journey started much earlier, when he was just 11 years old.

After winning tournaments in Manila, he was scouted to play for Makati Football Club, which meant leaving Bacolod and spending his first extended period away from his family.

“At that time, I was doing really well and winning a lot of tournaments in Manila,” he recalls.

It was a major adjustment, but also the first time Moleje began to see a future in football.

“That was when I started thinking, maybe I can really do something with this,” he says. “From there, I knew I wanted to keep improving and, eventually, become a professional footballer.”

Years later, that ambition took him to Spain.

For a young player, earning an opportunity with Levante could easily feel like the destination. Instead, Moleje saw it as another chance to test himself, learn from a different football environment, and understand what it would take to reach the professional level.

His time in Spain, however, was cut short when he was called back to join the Philippines U-17 national team for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers in Jordan.

Still, the experience left an impact.

“Yung Spain, dream come true talaga siya and something I’ll always be grateful for, pero yung championship with UST is something I really treasure and keep close to my heart,” he says.

“Iba talaga yung laro kapag kasama mo yung team.”

The UST championship, which came against defending champion FEU, remains one of the moments Moleje values most, not just because of what it meant on the field, but because of the decision he made to stay and finish the journey with his teammates.

More Motivation Than Pressure

With every achievement comes a new level of expectation.

The attention surrounding Moleje grew after his opportunity with Levante, while his experience with the national team added another layer to his development. Now, at just 17 years old, he continues to take on bigger challenges as captain of the Philippines U-18 team.

For Moleje, though, expectations are not something to shy away from.

“After Levante and everything that’s happened, I feel like people expect more from me now,” he says. “But honestly, I see it as more motivation than pressure.”

It’s a telling response from a player who has already experienced what it is like to be labeled a prospect.

Rather than allowing expectations to become a burden, Moleje uses them as another reason to improve.

“I know people believe in me, and that makes me want to work even harder,” he says. “I’m still young, and I know I still have so much to learn. I have a long way to go.”

And perhaps that is the most important part of Moleje’s story. But none of those moments have convinced him that he has made it.

If anything, they have made the next target clearer.

The Next Step

A professional career remains the goal.

For now, Moleje continues to develop with UST and the Philippines U-18 team, carrying with him the lessons from every stage of his journey—from Bacolod to Manila, from UST to Levante, and back to the national team.

“I’ve always wanted to play professionally, and that’s something I’m seriously working towards,” he says.

So, where is Joshua Moleje now?

Not where the story ended.

At 17, he’s already been to Spain, helped create history with UST, represented his country, and experienced the realities of the next level.

But the journey is far from over. It was simply another step toward where he wants to go next.