England wonderkid 'better than rice' makes sad career announcement aged just 26

DECLAN RICE CAME THROUGH THE RANKS AT WEST HAM BUT ONE OF HIS FORMER TEAM-MATES AT THE HAMMERS HAS OPTED TO LEAVE HIS CURRENT CLUB AFTER A SUCCESSION OF INJURIES AND A BATTLE WITH LONG COVID

12:16, 29 May 2025 An England wonderkid once rated as being better than Declan Rice has announced his departure from his current club, three years since he last made an appearance. Reece

Oxford burst onto the scene at West Ham, starring on his debut against Arsenal. Oxford was just 16-year-old when he started that 2-0 win back in August 2015. But a decade on and his career

has stalled after a succession of injuries and a battle with Long Covid. After struggling for game-time at the Hammers, Oxford was sent out on a series of loans. He spent time at Reading,

Borussia Mönchengladbach and Augsburg, before making his move to the latter permanent in 2019. He eventually became a key man for the Bundesliga side, making 56 appearances between 2020 and

2022. But he suffered a meniscus tear forcing him to undergo knee surgery, before his comeback was ruined by a hamstring problem. Oxford then began battling the long-term effects of COVID-19

in summer 2022. Despite working with specialists, he struggled to return to the pitch, with his last appearance for the senior team coming in a 1-0 defeat to Bochum in November 2022. READ

MORE: Sky Sports confirms major Premier League changes ahead of last day of seasonREAD MORE: Arsenal star confirms exit days after final game of season with three-word message He did play 76

minutes for Augsburg's reserve side in March 2023, registering an assist in a Regionalliga Bavaria win over SV Wacker Burghausen. But that was to prove to be his last appearance for

the club, with the 26-year-old now announcing his departure. "I just wanted to say a big thanks for the last six years. Obviously, you haven't seen me for the last two years,"

the Englishman said in a video posted on the German club's social media accounts. "But the times when I was playing the fans were always great to me and always kept me going

through the hard times as well, even Corona times, which was hard for me. "So yeah, big thanks and hopefully I can come to a game as soon as next season and I see you guys again. Thank

you." It marks a low point in Oxford's career, with the Hammers academy graduated having previously been tipped to better Rice by a team-mate. Lewis Page revealed Oxford was ahead

of the now Arsenal man in the pecking order. He told The Athletic: "I remember having a conversation with him after dinner. Dec [Rice] wasn’t sure if he was going to get a scholarship

with West Ham. I was always confident he was going to get one, but at the time the club weren’t sure what was Dec’s best position. "Reece was the main talent at centre-back and I’m not

sure if the club thought Dec was good enough to play in midfield. You had Josh Cullen and Ben Marlow who were ahead of him. But West Ham took the chance and it’s paid off ever since."

Rice has since joined Arsenal in a £100m move, with Oxford now searching for a way back into the game. Augsburg meanwhile announced on Wednesday that they had appointed former Bayern Munich

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