Abhranil Roy
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho is sending scouts to watch 17-year-old Reece Oxford play for England under-19s against Holland in the European Championship in Germany on Friday. They are long time admirers of Oxford and have already made strong enquiries about the versatile teenager who has made his reputation as a centre-half but has also played in midfield. The buzz about the young footballer, ever since he made his first-team bow against Arsenal at the beginning of last season, when he man marked Mesut Ozil to non-existence. People close to the Gaffer have even stated that he is willing to outbid Red Bull Leipzig, who had previously submitted a 10 million pound bid for the young gun, if that is what it will take for him to join us.
So who is Reece and why is he rated so highly? Let’s have a look.
PROFILE:
West Ham signed Oxford in 2011 after he was released by Tottenham Hotspur and have since made him the highest-paid 17-year-old in the club’s history. Harry Redknapp and the club deemed that Reece had no future at Tottenham after continuing to play him as a forward. Now a potential future England captain, surely it’s a move, Spurs are regretting considering their belief in youth in recent seasons.
STRENGTHS:
The first thing that strikes about Reece is his height. At 6ft 3 in, he has a robust build and is physically imposing. However, his towering presence goes hand in hand with a pair of very quick feet and a tough tackling attitude, which is why his performance against Özil last August could be argued as the finest Premier League debut considering the opposition faced and the quality of player he set upon in a World Cup winner. During Oxford’s nine games in the West Ham first team, the Hammers have suffered defeat only once (to Leicester).
Victories at Liverpool and Arsenal along with a home victory over Tottenham have all come when Oxford has featured in the team. It’s difficult to recall an English central midfielder that possessed the attributes Oxford is currently displaying. With style, strength and the swagger, there’s no denying that the boy from Edmonton is destined for national team success with England. Some have even compared him to be the great Patrick Viera, the Arsenal defensive midfielder who guided his team to three league titles and four FA Cup trophies during his nine years at Highbury.
WEAKNESSES:
Nothing really. To be very honest, Reece appears to be one of those youngsters who display none of the attributes young players usually possess, something akin to Anthony Martial. Baring unfortunate injuries or an inexplicable change in attitude, the midfielder is all set to enjoy a prolific future.
FAN VIEW:
From what I have seen, Jose loves placing his trust in young, dependable, defensive-minded players like he did with Raphael Varane at Real Madrid and Kurt Zouma at Chelsea and Reece Oxford seems to fit that bill perfectly. So, we should definitely go for him.
