Midfielder hoping to unearth next Oxford gem with education academy
JOSH McEachran is hoping to unearth the next Oxford-born professional footballer while providing educational opportunities through his new academy.
The 32-year-old midfielder has launched the Josh McEachran Education Academy in his home city, partnering with Wychwood School in Banbury Road.
A football education programme for 16-19-year-olds will allow students to gain the equivalent of three A levels and earn up to 168 UCAS points, with training from UEFA qualified coaches.
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The programme will start in September and operate from Wychwood.
Oxford-born McEachran has been searching for the right base for his new academy, and found it in the form of Wychwood, a former all-girls private school which became co-educational in September 2023.
McEachran told this newspaper: 'It's been a busy few years, but the main thing was getting the right location. I've tried numerous locations, and they just didn't seem right.
'I met Jane [Evans], the headteacher at Wychwood, and had a few good conversations with her, and I knew this was the place for me, right in the heart of Oxford.
'The facilities here are fantastic and I'm really looking forward to it now.
'The education side of it is massive. It gives the parents a bit of comfort. They'll be training every day, I'll be down here as much as I can, and all the coaches have got their badges.
'It'll be proper training, but on the flip side, they'll be doing their education every day as well, so if we don't get them into playing football, there'll be so many pathways, even with the US.
'There are different roads they can go down, and if I can help them in any way, that's the main aim.'
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McEachran came through the academy system at Chelsea, where he played 22 times, with permanent stints following at Brentford, Birmingham City and MK Dons.
He joined Oxford United in June 2023, then played at Wembley as the club won promotion to Sky Bet Championship just over a year ago, and will leave the U's as a free agent this summer.
McEachran said: 'My dream was to come back and play for Oxford United. I had two successful seasons. In my first season, we got promoted, and then we stayed in the Championship.
'All my family are still here, I'm an Oxford lad, so I wanted something to stay here for years and years to come.
'I'll get this up and running now in September, with a few launch nights, including one on June 24.
'We've had a lot of kids overseas who want to join already in September. We've got the boarding options here, so this isn't just for Oxford locals.'
For more information, visit: joshmceachranacademy.com
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