In August 2015, English defender Reece Oxford became West Ham United’s youngest league debutant aged 16, putting in a man-of-the-match performance in the season opener against Arsenal.
Shockingly, the Hammers’ academy graduate only played seven more league games for the club – six of which came that same season – before joining FC Augsburg permanently during the summer after a temporary stint last term.
Oxford had loan spells at Reading and Borussia Mönchengladbach as he sought regular playing minutes after dropping out of the first-team picture, and has revealed one of the major reasons he thinks led to his failure to keep up with the pace at the London Stadium club.