Oxford United are delighted to announce the signing of highly-rated and exciting Indonesian international, Marselino Ferdinan.
The 19-year-old forward arrives in Oxford with 26 caps for his country and three goals, and last year helped Indonesia Under-22s win the Southeast Asian Games for the first time in 32 years.
Marselino also holds the record as the youngest international goalscorer in Indonesia, and this year became the youngest goalscorer in Asian Cup finals round history.
Marselino was also a key player for the Indonesian U-23 team, who reached the semifinals of the 2024 AFC U-23 Championship and led Indonesia to the Olympic play-offs against Guinea in Paris last May.
In club football, Marselino started his career in Indonesia, and spent last season with Deinze in Belgium.
One of the rising stars of Asian football, Marselino would be the first Indonesian-born player to feature in the Sky Bet Championship if selected by the U’s this season.
Speaking on his signing, he said: “I'm thrilled and still can't believe I'm here. Being the first Indonesian-born player to play in the Championship if selected fills me with immense pride. I won’t take this opportunity for granted, and I'll give 100% to make the most of it.
“My message to everyone is to keep supporting the team and know that I’ll do my best to compete and represent this club.”
Des Buckingham, Head Coach, said: “Marselino is a young exciting player. The games we have watched and reports of him from Asia are that he is one of the best young players coming through, so it’s an opportunity to have him in here and be a part of what we do.
“Having worked in Asia already, I know the depth of potential talent that can be unearthed there and I am looking forward to having him in the building to see how he progresses.
“Marselino has lots of attributes that we look for in a player and a person and we can see he has a real desire to want to improve and take this opportunity.”
Ed Waldron, Head of Football Operations, said: “Marselino is a very exciting and promising young player and we are excited to see how he develops in our group.
“The Club has strong ties with Indonesia and through our continuous conversations, we were made aware of Marselino’s ability.
“While unproven at this level, it is clear that Marselino is extremely talented with good international experience, and it will be exciting to see how he adapts to life at Oxford United.
“We have a fantastic environment at the Training Ground, and we feel it’s the perfect opportunity for Marselino to test his abilities and develop alongside the experience we have in his position.”