West Ham thought he could be ‘world-class’ – now he’s without a club at 27 | OneFootball

A look at what has happened to the one-time highly-rated Reece Oxford following his departure from West Ham United.

There are plenty of examples of players who burst onto the scene but faded just as dramatically and West Ham United supporters can tell the tale of Reece Oxford as one of the most remarkable rises and falls in that regard.

The Academy of Football, as they gave themselves the nickname of, West Ham have produced some of the best talents English football has seen in the last couple of decades.

From the squad that was ‘too good to go down’ but did get relegated in the 2002-03 campaign that consisted of academy graduates and future international stars Michael Carrick, Jermain Defoe, Glen Johnson and Joe Cole – a season after the sales of Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard; to the production of now Arsenal stalwart Declan Rice in more recent times.

The Irons pride themselves on their ability to produce cult heroes and legendary figures from within – and Reece Oxford promised to be another but it was not to be the case.

Reece Oxford’s famous West Ham debut and early days

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At the start of the 2015-16 season, optimism at West Ham was high as they sought to send Upton Park, or the Boleyn Ground, off with a memorable campaign following the appointment of former defender Slaven Bilic.

A stacked squad, that had added Pedro Obiang and Dimitri Payet in midfield that summer, boasted the likes of Cheikhou Kouyate and captain Mark Noble in the middle of the park.

On the opening day of the season, though, Bilic opted for a surprise inclusion in the starting eleven as West Ham travelled to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal – handing 16-year-old Reece Oxford his debut against The Gunners.

Oxford went on to be instrumental alongside Noble and Kouyate, playing 79 minutes as West Ham won by two goals to nil in North London, with strikes from Kouyate and Manuel Lanzini either side of half-time.

Having started three of West Ham’s UEFA Europa League qualifiers that summer, it remained a shock for the youngster to be thrown into the side against Arsenal – but he flourished.

The eventual signing of Alex Song on the final day of the summer transfer window saw Oxford become more of an understudy as the season progressed but he still managed to make a further seven appearances across all competitions, despite only turning 17 mid-way through the campaign.

Reece Oxford’s stuttering and malaise at West Ham

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Substituted at half-time in a 2-1 defeat against eventual shock title-winners Leicester City a week after that superb display at Arsenal may have seemed a touch harsh but surely barely a footnote in what could be a stellar career for Oxford.

However, it may have instead indicated something else and signs that he still needed to earn the trust of Bilic, despite being thrown in at the deep end.

Again in and out of the squad in the 2017-18 campaign as West Ham moved into the London Stadium, Oxford eventually found himself loaned out to Reading, where he was again deemed surplus to requirements for The Royals’ match day squad in the Championship in 13 of the 18 games that he was in Berkshire for.

Still highly-rated, Oxford moved on loan to German giants Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer of 2017, beginning a trend of young English players that would move to Germany to get game time and to develop, followed famously by Jadon Sancho to Borussia Dortmund a month after Oxford’s move.

Mainly on the bench for much of the campaign, Oxford began to find some form for Gladbach as a right-back in the spring of the 2017-18 season before an injury saw him make just one appearance in their final eight games of the Bundesliga campaign.

Oxford returned to West Ham in the 2018-19 campaign having seen his career begin to stagnate just as it should be taking off and he failed to make an appearance in the first half of that season before returning to Germany and joining Augsburg on loan in January 2019.

Long-COVID and a tough time in Germany for Reece Oxford

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Augsburg narrowly survived relegation at the end of that season but Oxford had begun to be trusted in the high pressure situation by manager Manuel Baum, leading to his departure on a permanent basis from West Ham.

Oxford found himself again in and out of the side for much of the 2019-20 campaign in Augsburg but he was getting a lot more minutes and was always in the squad if fit – albeit injuries were recurring.

The following campaign saw Oxford begin to establish himself even more as a key part of the first-team picture at Augsburg, making 24 appearances and finishing the season as a starting centre-back.

30 starts in the 2021-22 season saw him continue to flourish and re-establish himself as a highly-rated prospect – perhaps realising the potential he had once shown.

However, the long-term effects of COVID-19 that he suffered began to bring about more and more muscular injuries and ravage his game time for the next few seasons as he went on to play just three more Bundesliga games in three seasons for the German outfit.

The illness and its effects robbed Oxford just as he seemed destined to kick on and re-emerge as the player that was trusted to play out of position on the opening day of a Premier League season away at Arsenal at the age of just 16, even linked with Manchester City that same season.