Oxford United are pleased to announce that four of their promising youngsters have been given the chance to stay with the club for a further year.
Goalkeeper Fraser Barnsley, centre-back Erion Zabeli, defender George Franklin and winger Amari Davis-Stephenson have all been offered third-year scholarship contracts after two years as scholars with the club. They join Gatlin O’Donkor and Josh Johnson who were offered professional contracts during the course of their scholarship.
Head of Academy Stevie Kinniburgh said:
“Amari picked up an ACL injury in the final pre-season game last summer and has missed a year as a result, so the right thing to do was offer him a further year. Fraser has been excellent and George and Erion have been outstanding at the centre of the defence for the youth team, those three played a big part in them reaching the quarter final of the FA Youth Cup for the first time in the club’s history. They all fully deserve their chance to push on next season and earn professional deals like Gatlin and Josh have already done.”
“At the same time this has been a very tough week for us and we have had to let Ibby Sankoh and Enrique Tiamuna know that they will be released once they finish the education part of their scholarship. They are outstanding young men and can be very proud of what they have done here. We will help them with trials and give them all the help we can in whatever they choose to do next.”