James Golding and Josh Johnson have both signed new deals with Oxford United
Oxford United: James Golding and Josh Johnson sign new deals
OXFORD United duo James Golding and Josh Johnson have both signed new deals with the club.
The 20-year-old players have featured 16 times between them for the U’s, although neither have made an appearance for the club since January 2024.
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Centre back Golding made his United debut in October 2021, and has played nine times for the club across all competitions, including two starts in Sky Bet League One.
Golding spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan in the Vanarama National League with both Maidenhead United and Southend United, and across the two loan spells, he scored five goals in 23 appearances.
Central midfielder Johnson made his U’s debut in August 2021, and has featured on seven occasions for the club, although he is yet to make his league bow.
Johnson featured in two separate loan spells for Maidenhead this season, and played in 22 National League matches.
United have reported that the two players will ‘remain with the club ahead of the 2025/26 season’.
U’s head of football operations Ed Waldron told the club website: “It’s really important for the club to have a strong core of young, promising players who have been developed within our system.
“Josh and James are two players who have shown real qualities over each age group and have since enjoyed strong loan spells at first team level across the pyramid.
“We look forward to continuing to work with both as they aim to make an impact on our men’s first team group.
Both players are understood to have impressed United head coach Gary Rowett from afar, with Rowett previously suggesting that he wants younger players to have a more prominent squad role next season, as opposed to having senior professionals on the fringes and not getting minutes.
Rowett previously said: “We’ve got quite a big squad, and I think something we need to do next year is maybe create more of an opportunity for some of the younger players to come through from the academy and some of the younger players that have been on loan.
“There’ll be an opportunity for some of those to stake their place, and then maybe we can streamline and create a little bit more value from the places that are currently left.
“I would always work off an ideal number. That ideal number would always have probably four young players within that, so if you do get a spate of maybe six or seven injuries, a couple of those young players can come in and be part of the matchday squad because they’re training with you all the time.
“That’s preferable to me to do that rather than two senior players. You’ve seen it this season. We’ve had two or three senior players sat out of the matchday squad for most of the time.”
