As the decade comes to an end, Vital Oxford have selected their best eleven players and top manager since 2010.
On the pitch, it’s been a relatively successful ten years for the U’s. Chris Wilder guided the club to promotion from the Conference in 2010 and the U’s achieved promotion to League One under Michael Appleton in 2016.
This season, Karl Robinson’s side went 18 games unbeaten before defeat at MK Dons and reached the last eight of the Carabao Cup for the first time since 1988 before losing out to holders Manchester City. The U’s end the decade 2nd in League One – their highest league position in the last ten years.
GK: Simon Eastwood
180 appearances
2010/2011 (loan) 2016-present
The first player on the list is the U’s current goalkeeper, Simon Eastwood.
The 30-year-old was originally brought in by Chris Wilder following the clubs promotion back to League Two, but the former Huddersfield Town man found game time hard to come by and failed to make an appearance, largely due to the impressive form of Ryan Clarke.
But, in 2016, Eastwood rejoined the U’s. Again, it came after a promotion season, with Michael Appleton giving the goalkeeper the number one shirt with the club now in League One.
He established himself as a key member, playing all 62 games as the U’s finished 8th in the league, before bowing out of the FA Cup at the fifth round and reaching the Football League Trophy final, losing to Coventry City.
Since then, only injury has kept the U’s number one sidelined and by the end of this season, the 30-year-old would have made over 200 appearances for Oxford.
During his time at the club, Eastwood also won the Supporters Player of the Year and Players Player of the Year.
