Oxford was given his first start against Arsenal on the opening day of the season by Slaven Bilic and since his debut the 16-year-old made six appearances for the Hammers in all competitions.
"Reece can become a West Ham legend and that is what this place needs,” he told The Independent.
"We need a catalyst to change it
That is why the determination to keep him at 16 was so great.
"The value of a 16-year-old now is greater than a second-year pro
As a club we already had the player
Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal wanted him and the value was ridiculous.
"We have to give them so much so young just to keep them
You havenÂ’t got a choice."
West Ham academy director Terry Westley said "every single one of our 175 boys from nine years old to 22 has his own individual plan.
“I say to Oxford, that he’s going to be a Premier League footballer
But do you want to be captain of England? Do you want to be the best in the world in your position? He could be
When he plays in the Euros he stands out.
"You go to the theatre to see Billy Elliott
The actor is what, 13? He canÂ’t make a mistake
He canÂ’t trip over or get his words wrong
Footballers arenÂ’t like that
We tend to allow it and think it is OK
That’s the bit we are missing.”
Source : DSG
Source: DSG