Oxford United 2011 Roster - Seacoast United

Oxford United 2011 Roster

2011 Roster
Ryan Clarke
	Position: Goalkeeper Ryan is a former England under-21 player whose last game of 2008-09 was against The U’s for Northwich Victoria. The tall, commanding Bristolian began his career with Bristol Rovers and had loans at Kidderminster, Southend and Forest Green before a permanent move to Salisbury in 2006. He was a huge success as Salisbury reached the Blue Square Premier, making 106 starts in two seasons before losing his place due to injury. He then ended the season with the Vics before joining United in June 2009. During his first season with the U’s Ryan made more than 50 first team starts in all competitions, winning the Supporters’ Player of the Year award in the process. He followed this up by winning the Players’ Player of the Year award in 2011.
Damian Batt
	Position: Defender Damian began his career with Norwich City and after a short spell at Dagenham and Redbridge he joined Barnet, where he played an important part in their promotion into the Football League. He played one year in League Two for Barnet, before joining St Albans in August 2006. After a short spell at Stevenage Borough he joined Grays Athletic on non-contract terms before signing for United in January 2009. Able to play at right-back or on the right wing, Damian is a pacy defender with great ability on the ball.
Jake Wright
	Position: Defender Jake is an agile and pacy centre half who started his career with Bradford City during the 2003-04 season. In 2005 he gained his first taste of regular first team football while on loan at Halifax, then managed by Chris Wilder, before joining the club permanently in 2006. Following Halifax’s demise Jake joined Blue Square Premier side Crawley Town in the summer of 2008, becoming one of the division’s finest defenders before moving to League One side Brighton & Hove Albion for an undisclosed fee in 2009. Following the arrival of Gus Poyet, Jake joined Oxford on loan in January 2010 before moving permanently six months later.
Anthony Tonkin
	Position: Defender Born in Cornwall, Anthony began his career at Yeovil while studying at University in 1999. After making more than 100 appearances for the Somerset outfit in all competitions, Anthony joined Stockport County in 2002 before moving to Crewe Alexandra for a fee of £150,000 a year later. He briefly returned to Yeovil in 2006 before dropping out of the Football League to join Forest Green Rovers in 2007. His performances for the club earned him a move to Cambridge United in July 2008, where after establishing himself as arguably the best left-back outside of the Football League he joined Oxford for a small fee in January 2010.
Harry Worley
	Position: Defender Harry is a six foot four centre-half who began his career at Stockport County but was snapped up by Chelsea at the age of 16, moving to the Premier League champions for a six-figure fee and being named among the substitutes for the 2007 Community Shield clash with Manchester United. With first team opportunities limited at Stamford Bridge Harry had loans at Doncaster Rovers, Carlisle United and Leicester City before signing a permanent deal with the Foxes in 2008. After a short loan at Luton Town the defender then joined Crewe Alexandra, making 22 starts and scoring once. Harry joined United on a three-year deal ahead of the club’s League Two campaign in 2010, and at the end of the season he was named the club’s Young Player of the Year.
Michael Duberry
	Position: Defender Michael played almost 90 Premier League games for Chelsea, for whom he started as a trainee, and in 1998 he won the League Cup, the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and the European Super Cup with the Blues. In June 1999 Leeds United paid £4.5 million to take him to Elland Road, and Duberry starred in their 1-0 win over AC Milan in the Champions League in September 2000. In March 2005 Michael moved to Stoke, where he became club captain, but after two years he joined Reading in the Premier League for a fee of around £800,000. After a brief spell with Wycombe Wanderers, Duberry joined SPL side St Johnstone in February 2010 where he was an important figure prior to his move to Oxford in May 2011.
Anthony Capaldi
	Position: Defender Tony is a Northern Ireland international left-back who has been capped 22 times. After coming through the youth ranks at Birmingham City he moved to Plymouth Argyle where he made over 150 appearances in four years. In May 2007 he signed for Cardiff City, where he featured in the Bluebirds’ FA Cup final side against Portsmouth in 2008. Following a brief loan spell with Leeds United, Capaldi was released by Cardiff and joined Morecambe in September 2010, remaining with the Shrimps until the end of last season, when Oxford signed him.
Andrew Whing
	Position: Defender Andrew is a six-foot right-back who joined Oxford from Leyton Orient in May 2011. He started his career with Coventry City, where he made over 100 appearances. A loan move to Brighton in October 2006 eventually turned into a permanent deal and in 2008-09 Whing was voted the Seagulls’ Player of the Season. He joined Chesterfield on loan in March 2010 until the end of that season and in October 2010 he signed for Orient, initially on loan before joining permanently two months later. Although not known as a goalscorer, one of Andrew’s two goals for Orient was voted as the club’s Goal of the Season for 2010-11.
Ryan James
	Position: Defender Originally a striker, Ryan was signed by QPR at the age of eight; he played for their youth team and later for Millwall’s youth side. After a spell with Conference side Grays Athletic Ryan joined the Nike Academy, which is where he was spotted by United, who offered him a professional contract in May 2011.
Paul McLaren
	Position: Midfield Paul is a combative midfielder with extensive Football League experience with Luton Town, Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham United, Bradford City and, most recently, Tranmere Rovers. Oxford signed him at the end of December 2010 as a free agent after his release by Tranmere, and his presence adds experience and a steadying influence to the centre of the park.
Josh Payne
	Position: Midfield Josh was the first of two deadline day signings made by Chris Wilder at the end of August 2010, signing on a one-month loan deal from Championship side Doncaster Rovers. A former West Ham youth captain, Payne joined the Yorkshire outfit this summer after being released by the Hammers, though previous loan spells loan spells with Cheltenham Town, Colchester United and Wycombe Wanderers give him plenty of experience in the Football League.
Asa Hall
	Position: Midfield Asa is a 6’2” attacking midfielder with an eye for goal who joined United from Luton Town in May 2010. An England representative at both U19 and U20 levels, Asa began his career with Birmingham City in 2004. Following loan spells with Boston United and Shrewsbury Town he joined Luton in the summer of 2008. Despite the club’s relegation to the Blue Square Premier less than a year later Asa reached double figures during his first season with the Hatters, helping them to victory in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy Final at Wembley Stadium.
Alfie Potter
	Position: Midfield Alfie first came to fame with a goal for Havant and Waterlooville against Liverpool at Anfield as the Conference South side took a shock 2-1 lead before losing 5-2. That appearance came on loan from Peterborough United, and was followed by a brief loan at AFC Wimbledon and then a season-long loan at Kettering Town where he made 29 league starts including both games against The U’s. A tricky winger with bags of pace, Alfie joined United on a season-long loan from Peteborough in July 2009 before signing for the club permanently in June 2010.
Simon Heslop
	Position: Midfield A combative central midfield player, Simon joined Barnsley on professional terms in 2005. In the time since then Simon has been on loan to a number of sides including Kidderminster, Tamworth, Halifax, Grimsby and Luton to name some, eventually leaving Barnsley on a free transfer in May 2010. Despite Luton wishing to retain his services following a highly impressive loan spell towards the end of the 2009-10 season, Simon joined the U’s in June 2010.
James Constable
	Position: Striker James is a striker who started playing for Walsall, where he scored three times in nine starts. Five goals in nine games on loan at Kidderminster led to a permanent move to the Harriers where 18 goals in 42 starts, plus the first two goals at the new Wembley Stadium in front of 53,000 at the FA Trophy final, meant interest from a host of league clubs. He joined Shrewsbury Town for an undisclosed fee, he scoring four times in seven starts. He joined United on a season-long loan in July 2008 and was a massive success. Twenty six goals, the chance to lead the line for England C, United’s Players’ and Supporters’ Player of the Year, and the accolade of Blue Square Player of the Year highlighted his importance. After joining permanently in May 2009, James scored 29 goals including the team’s second in a 3-1 Play-off final win over York City at Wembley Stadium as they won promotion to the Football League, and he followed this up by being the club’s leading scorer in the first season back, when he became the first player to win a second Supporters’ Player of the Season award.
Tom Craddock
	Position: Striker Tom signed for Oxford literally minutes before the August 2010 transfer deadline, joining for an undisclosed fee from Blue Square Premier outfit Luton Town. A quick and tricky forward, the former Middlesbrough player finished last season as Luton’s top scorer with 24 goals in all competitions, while he scored 12 goals between January and May of 2009 as the Bedfordshire outfit lost their place in the Football League for the first time in their history. Tom was a great success in his first season with the U’s, challenging James Constable all the way in the leading scorer race.
Deane Smalley
	Position: Striker Deane rejected a new contract from Oldham in order to sign for Oxford in May 2011. Smalley played for most of his career with his hometown club, for whom he made his debut in February 2007. He had a loan spell with Rochdale in September 2010 before joining Chesterfield on loan in November. Smalley scored 12 goals in his 23 League appearances for the Spireites as the side won the League Two title, and while many expected the six-footer to join Chesterfield permanently, he instead opted to join United.
Jon-Paul Pittman
	Position: Striker The American-born striker has pace to burn as well as an eye for goal, which is why Oxford won the race to sign him in May 2011 after he left promotion-winning Wycombe Wanderers. Initially on Nottingham Forest’s books, Pittman had loan spells with Hartlepool and Bury before coming to prominence with 24 goals in 62 games for Crawley Town, earning him selection for the England C team. In September 2009 Wycombe paid a five-figure sum for Jon-Paul and his goals for the Chairboys were to prove crucial as they won promotion to League One in 2011.