The world is at the feet of nine young footballers who kicked off pre-season training with the U’s this week
Elijah Coe, Josh Anifowose, Will Owens, Mac Masters, Eddie Brearey, Adam Smith, James Golding, Clinton Nosakhare and Ben Watt are our new first year scholars and this week has seen them reporting to the Oxford Sports Park Training Ground for the first time in preparation for two years in which they have the chance to graduate into the first team.
“They have an amazing opportunity” Head of Academy Dan Harris told us. “Six of them have been with the club since they were very young and three have come from further afield. All of them have the same chance to impress us, keep progressing and hopefully become the latest in a long line to go all the way through and make a career as professional footballers."
With strict protocols to adhere to and social distancing in place it is a case of being eased in, as Lead PDP Coach Leon Blackmore-Such explained:
“There are a lot of things we have to do to make sure it is a safe environment and at the moment it is a case of working in small groups and no contact. But when the first group came in on Monday we told them very clearly that they have to adapt and they have to be ready because you never know when you get a chance in this game.
“But there was a real buzz about the place again and it was good to get out on the pitches and start playing football again.”
See Dan and Leon taking through the first day in the video above with the full version available in iFollow.