Former Chelsea wonderkid Josh McEachran will be playing a final at Wembley, but not the one many tipped him to take part in.
But he won’t mind, with McEachran taking to the Wembley turf for Saturday’s League One play-off final between boyhood club Oxford United and Bolton – live on talkSPORT.
Having progressed through Chelsea’s youth academy, the midfielder was tipped for stardom after breaking into the first team fold under Carlo Ancelotti at the age of 16, making his senior debut for the Blues aged 17 in September 2010.
McEachran had the world at his feet and even had Manchester United and Real Madrid vying for his signature with the then-wonderkid choosing to turn down a move to the Santiago Bernabeu in order to make his name as Stamford Bridge.
It was Jose Mourinho’s signing of Cesc Fabregas in 2014 that put the nail in the coffin of his dream of playing for his boyhood club, however.
While he did make 22 appearances for the Blues, his time with Chelsea saw him spend three and a half years out on loan with clubs including Swansea, Middlesbrough, Watford and Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem. He left Chelsea to join Brentford on a permanent deal at the age of 22.
After four years with Brentford, he joined Birmingham where he played alongside a certain young star called Jude Bellingham before heading to MK Dons in 2021.
Now 31 years of age, McEachran is playing for his hometown club, Oxford United, where he’s one match away from helping the team into the Championship for the first time since 1999.
After edging a 2-1 aggregate win over Peterborough in the League One play-off semi-finals, Oxford will face Bolton at Wembley, live on talkSPORT, for a spot in the second tier.
Discussing the Peterborough clash, McEachran told The Sports Breakfast: “It was unbelievable, honestly. I think we defended for 99 minutes but we’ll take it!
“The first leg was cagey but we were 1-0 up and so we knew that they had to come out and they scored at an unbelievable time before half-time so we feared the worst but we scored straight after that.
“It was an unbelievable game, an unbelievable atmosphere and our fans were unbelievable so we’re all looking forward to the weekend now.”
Asked how big a deal it would be to get promoted, McEachran said: “It would be huge. I didn’t realise how big a club it was really.
“I’ve been at big clubs but I didn’t realise how big the fanbase was and how big it would be for the city and stuff.
“We’re building a new stadium and that so it would be massive.
“We know it’ll be a tough, tough game against Bolton who are a very good side but at Wembley anything can happen and so we’re going there full of confidence.”
Wembley will also host the Champions League final between Real Madrid and Dortmund – a clash that McEachran could have been taking part in – but instead the midfielder is appreciating the chance to play for his hometown club on the grandest stage of all.
“I’m loving it,” he said. “I’m obviously an Oxford lad and I’ve always wanted to play for Oxford one day in my career so I signed last season.
“It’s been a rollercoaster, to be honest with you.
“I’ve been in and out of the squad but to end it at Wembley is something I’ve dreamed of so hopefully we can just get it over the line now.”
But what about his feelings towards Chelsea? Despite not making the grade as a first team star, McEachran says that he’s enjoying watching the team as a supporter.
He said: “I’m still a Chelsea fan. Obviously it’s not been a great season this season but we’ve seen signs of recovery.
“They’ll lead one of the top six and then lose a home game against one of the bottom four so it’s been up and down but recently we’ve seen improvements.
“I’d certainly keep Poch [Mauricio Pochettino] there. He’s an unbelievable manager and the right man so we’ll have a good summer and see what they can do next season.”
The League One play-off final will be live on talkSPORT on Saturday afternoon with kick-off at 4.15pm
News Summary:
- The Chelsea wonderkid who turned down Real Madrid but played with Jude Bellingham – now set for Wembley play-off final
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