Many fans of the Premier League today will have switched on the TV, read a tweet or heard on the radio that West Ham were starting Reece Oxford in centre midfield against Arsenal on the opening day of the campaign. The majority probably thought, who is he?
Who is West Ham’s newest youngster Reece Oxford?
Oxford, born in December 1998 in Edmonton, London, is a player who can be deployed in both centre midfield, as he was at the Emirates against London neighbours Arsenal, and as a ball-playing centre back due to his size, standing 6ft 3in, and composure on the ball.
The academy graduate actually made his debut at senior level for the Hammers whilst the majority of West Ham’s league opponents were flying across the world to play friendlies against Europe’s elite. Oxford made the step up from youth level in a 3-0 win over FC Lusitans at Upton Park in a Europa League qualifier and in the process became West Ham’s youngest ever player. However last year’s winner of the Dylan Tombides Player of the Year award (awarded to West Ham’s best youth player in memory of the youth player who passed away after a battle with cancer in 2012) almost achieved this feat earlier in his career. He was named amongst the substitutes by then West Ham boss Sam Allardyce for the League Cup loss against Sheffield United last season but was unused.
Naturally, when a player aged 16 makes his debut in the Premier League – and a successful one at that: a 95% pass completion rate is not to be sniffed at – the twittersphere goes into overdrive and suggests that the Premier League big boys will be circling with big money moves to try and attract the new starlet. In the case of Reece Oxford this has already happened. Before he signed a new deal in January, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and his Premier League debut opponents Arsenal all had a interest in taking the England youth level international away from the Boleyn Ground.
Speaking of England caps, aged 14 he made his debut for the Under 16 national side and has since racked up an impressive 17 appearances for the Under 17 side since 2014. If managed correctly the potential of Oxford could mean he is one for the future both in the domestic top flight and on the international stage. But it is important not to get too carried away.
An impressive debut by the player, who became the seventh youngest player in Premier League history, will need to be followed up by an extended run of games in the first team. When all is said and done it is most likely that Oxford will be a fringe player for Slaven Bilic, playing in cup competitions and making a few sub appearances in the Premier League.
Bilic, who has recently taken over at West Ham, used numerous youngsters during the ill-fated Europa League qualifiers and may be looking at the famous academy to replace some of the ageing members of his squad. He has, by starting Oxford in such a big game, signalled a statement of intent that he is not afraid to give youngsters a chance and only time will tell if the Croatian will hand debuts to any other players of the revered West Ham Academy conveyor belt of talent.
