Former Chelsea star, 32, once labelled next Luka Modric wakes up unemployed after release by Championship club
JOSH MCEACHRAN has woken up unemployed following Oxford United's brutal end-of-season cull.
The former Chelsea star, who was once compared to Luka Modric, joined the U's in the summer of 2023 on a one-year deal following the expiration of his contract with MK Dons.
3
He inked a second-straight one-year deal with the club following the culmination of the 2023/24 season.
But the U's brass have opted NOT to hand the Oxford-born midfielder a new deal following their first season back in the Championship in 25 years.
An excerpt of a club statement read: "Oxford United have confirmed the list of players to be retained and released following the conclusion of the 2024/25 season.
" Josh McEachran, Joe Bennett, Max Woltman, Eddie Brearey and George Franklin will depart the Club following the expiration of their contracts this summer."
Oxford's Head of Football Operations, Ed Waldron, said of the departures: 'I would like to offer my thanks to each of the players departing the Club.
'Both Joe Bennett and Josh McEachran have played important roles in the progression of Oxford United over the last few years, helping to deliver promotion and then stabilise the Club in the Championship.
'Their quality and experience have been crucial in our development, and I'm certain both will be real assets to whichever club they continue their fantastic careers with.
'Max Woltman has been through an incredibly difficult period with the Club due to injury.
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS
3
"Despite this, he has been an extremely popular figure at the Training Ground, and I want to wish him and the rest all the best going forward.
'The recruitment process has been in motion for several months for the upcoming 2025/26 season.
Cole Palmer eats sandwich and ketchup as Brit music legend makes cameo in brilliant Chelsea kit release video
"We will continue to look at ways to improve the squad to build on what was a successful first campaign back in the Championship.'
McEachran has bounced from club to club after leaving Chelsea in the summer of 2015 following FIVE loan moves in five years.
Many at Stamford Bridge had high hopes for the midfielder, who made 22 appearances for the club, including former manager Andre Villas-Boas.
In August 2011, the Portuguese gaffer said of McEachran: 'This is a youngster with so much talent.
"Physique-wise, there is nothing to him at the moment.
"In the changing room you see him getting ready to go and train and he looks nothing like a footballer.
"His power and pace is in his head. But you could say the same about Luka Modric, Jack Wilshere or Samir Nasri.
" All are built with slight physiques but they are all among the finest midfield players in the world.
"Josh is going that way. His brain is always five yards ahead of the rest.
"I see in him very much as part of the future of this club.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
37 minutes ago
- The Independent
Hull KR snatch late win over Warrington to end 40-year wait for trophy
Mikey Lewis held his nerve to kick the conversion that ended 40 years of Hull KR hurt in a dramatic finish to the Betfred Challenge Cup final at rain-lashed Wembley. The Super League leaders looked set to extend the agony as opponents Warrington entered the last three minutes with a four-point lead, before Tom Davies flopped onto Tyrone May's kick to haul the Robins level. To a roar that could be heard back home in a presumably deserted east Hull, Lewis then stepped up to boot his side into the history books, completing an 8-6 win that erased the memory of their last-gasp agony against Leigh in 2023. It was a remarkable ending to a contest that never quite caught fire and had seemed increasingly likely to be decided by a masterclass from Warrington scrum-half Marc Sneyd, for whom a record-equally Lance Todd trophy for man of the match will prove no consolation. Sneyd's mastery of the tough conditions had forced the normally reliable Rovers into a series of errors and it was his boot on the stroke of half-time that set up the opening try for Josh Thewlis and looked set to hand Warrington their first Challenge Cup triumph since 2019. Frustration had slowly mounted for Rovers, who mostly out-muscled their opponents in an grimly fought-out opening 40 but had only a two-point penalty from Lewis to show for their ascendency in the opening half-hour. The conditions could cost Rovers dear when the otherwise impressive Joe Burgess dropped a slippery high kick from Sneyd in his own 10, and Wire seized on a stroke of fortune when Sneyd's kick ricocheted off a Rovers leg and out wide for Thewlis to score. With fellow half-back and captain George Williams finding his way into the game after almost eight weeks out following ankle surgery, Sneyd was revelling in the extra responsibility, and Warrington could have gone ahead earlier when Adam Holroyd slapped down a loose ball only for his effort to be ruled out for stripping the ball in the build-up. Jez Litten's introduction midway through the opening period turned the screw in Rovers' favour and Lewis capitalised on their best period of pressure by kicking them in front after being caught high by Ben Currie. Warrington rode their luck to wrest the tie in their favour on the half-time hooter, then summoned a sterling defensive effort to keep out a Rovers repeat set as the favourites piled on the pressure after the break. Sneyd's relentless probing with the boot continued to lift his side out of difficulty, while Rovers made more uncharacteristic errors as the pressure began to mount, captain Elliot Minchella guilty of squirting the ball out of his grasp at the play-the-ball. With the minutes ticking down it looked like more agony for Rovers until Davies made ground on the right to serve up one last chance. From a subsequent penalty, May's kick was just missed by Warrington winger Arron Lindop, and Davies flapped it down to haul his side level. Fittingly, it was left to home-grown hero Lewis to kick the decisive points and snatch Willie Peters' men their first trophy since 1985 with less than one and a half minutes left on the clock.
The Sun
39 minutes ago
- The Sun
Brit sensation Hannah Klugman, 16, breaks down in tears as she's ‘broken physically and mentally' in French Open final
TEEN SENSATION Hannah Klugman started to sob after her French Open final thrashing and admitted: I was broken mentally and physically. One of the most exciting young talents in British tennis was trounced 6-2 6-0 in 77 minutes by Austrian Lilli Tagger in the finale to the girls' singles competition. 3 3 Klugman, 16, struggled to cope with the windy conditions on Court Simonne-Mathieu. The Kingston-upon-Thames schoolgirl was trying to become the first Brit to win the Roland Garros junior championship since Michelle Tyler in 1976. Wiping away the tears, she said: 'I want to start off by saying congratulations to Lilli. Honestly, you deserve it so much. 'You broke me mentally and physically today. It's been a long week. I'm really proud of myself. 'I'm very tired. It's been a long week. I want to thank my team for all of the hard work – it means a lot. 'The crowd, you were amazing, I've never played in an atmosphere like this so thank you so much. 'Hopefully I'll be back some time in the seniors, so thank you so much.' Seventeen-year-old Tagger – who did not drop a trophy set in the event – secured the title with a 23-minute second set, winning 24 out of 35 points. For Klugman, there are major lessons to be learned on clay – she had little experience on the surface until spending two months practising on the surface earlier this year. That included a few days at Rafael Nadal's academy in Spain where she caught the eye of the 22-time major singles winner. Past winners of the title include future Grand Slam champions Jennifer Capriati, Martina Hingis, Amélie Mauresmo, Justine Henin, Coco Gauff. Klugman had also contested two Grand Slam girls' doubles finals but lost in the 2023 Wimbledon and this year's Australian Open trophy matches.
The Sun
43 minutes ago
- The Sun
‘We never know' – Tyson Fury's manager refuses to rule out comeback as Anthony Joshua nears new ‘amazing' fight deal
TYSON FURY'S manager has refused to rule out a comeback with Anthony Joshua nearing a bumper new fight deal. Fury announced his shock retirement in January - a month after losing to Oleksandr Usyk for the second time in 2024. 3 3 It has dashed any chance of a huge Battle of Britain bout against AJ - who was knocked out by Daniel Dubois in September. Joshua has since had elbow surgery amid talks with Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh over a new multiple fight deal. And Spencer Brown - Fury's manager and associate of Alalshikh told Boxing News: 'First of all, I think they've got to sign the deal first. "That's the most important part. What they're very good at, the Saudi Arabians, is a course. A road, and they want to know what road it is. "And if they can get the road in the right place, then they'll sign whatever deal you want as long as you're happy and they're happy with it. But they think forward 'So, it's a great move for Anthony Joshua, isn't it? A three-fight deal. Amazing. Amazing. Tyson's retired. Like I say, we never know though, do we? "But he's very busy at the moment. He's actually in the best place I've ever seen him. He's 12lbs above his fighting weight as well. "He looks really well. He's happy. He's got his kids with him constantly. Will he fight again? He's the Gypsy King, who knows?' CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Joshua, 35, snubbed the chance to rematch Dubois, 27, after his brutal KO loss at Wembley. And now Dubois rematches Usyk, 38, on July 19 two years after his stoppage loss to the Ukrainian. AJ's promoter Eddie Hearn is still holding out that Fury will return to fight Joshua. But the Gypsy King warned in May: 'I hear a lot of talk about the Gypsy King returning to boxing and I ask this question: for what? 'What would I return for? More belts? I've won 22 of them. I've been rumped, that's it, fair play to them, they got their use out of me. 'But I'm happy, I am happy, content with what I have achieved and accomplished. I've been around the world and back again. "And this is what retirement looks like for the Gypsy King, not too shabby.' 3
