A former England youth international who was once viewed as being a better prospect than Declan Rice has not played a single minute of football this season.
Since moving to Arsenal from West Ham in 2023 for a club-record fee of £100 million plus £5 million in add-ons, the reliable Rice has established himself as one of the best in the world in his position.
The 26-year-old midfielder, who has enjoyed another impressive campaign for Mikel Arteta‘s side in 2024/25, scored two superb free-kicks for the Gunners on Wednesday as they recorded a 3-0 win over Real Madrid.
It was another eye-catching performance from Rice as he continues to shine but at one stage, he was struggling to earn a contract at West Ham and was behind highly-rated defender Reece Oxford in the pecking order.
At the time, Oxford was seen as the club’s top talent, while Rice was said to be worried that he would be released for the second time after experiencing rejection at Chelsea.
Speaking to The Athletic, former West Ham trainee Lewis Page gave an insight into the situation. “I remember having a conversation with him after dinner. Dec wasn’t sure if he was going to get a scholarship with West Ham,” he said.
“He got released by Chelsea and he was worried it was going to happen again. I was always confident he was going to get one, but at the time the club weren’t sure what was Dec’s best position.”
Page added: “Reece was the main talent at centre-back and I’m not sure if the club thought Dec was good enough to play in midfield. But West Ham took the chance and it’s paid off.”
Oxford was regarded as a top prospect at West Ham and was even compared to Rio Ferdinand, who came through the club’s academy before becoming one of the best defenders in Premier League history.
At the age of 16, Oxford made his Premier League debut against Arsenal and helped the East London side to a 2-0 victory at the Emirates.
Former West Ham manager Slaven Bilic, who handed Oxford his senior bow that day, recently claimed that he had the potential to be as good as Rice.
“He [Oxford] had great potential and was very similar to Declan Rice who came through one year after,” he told talkSPORT. “Declan and the people around Declan were more focused and focused only on football and you can see how that developed his career.”
Oxford is still contracted to Augsburg. Image credit: Getty
Oxford would go on to enjoy loan spells with Reading and Borussia Monchengladbach before completing a permanent move to Bundesliga side Augsburg in 2019.
More than six years later and he is still contracted to the club now, but the 26-year-old hasn’t played a single game this season due to persistent muscle injuries, which came as a result of long COVID.
In fact, his last appearance for Jess Thorup’s side was back in November 2022, when he featured in a 1-0 defeat to Bochum.
An update on his situation came in July 2023. A report from Fox News read: “He dealt with thigh, knee, and COVID-related issues. The defender is now seeking specialist help in London during the off-season. There is no timeline for his return due to the variety of issues and how they are slowing his recovery.”
Back in March this year, he confirmed his much-anticipated return. “Back on the pitch, back in the mix,” he wrote on Instagram. “Focused, working, and ready for what’s next. #GodsTiming #TrustTheProcess.”
Oxford, who is currently valued at €500,000 by Transfermarkt, has played 69 times for Augsburg.
