Journeyman Players in Football: A Look at Oldham

Oldham's competitors in the journeyman player stakes, including Freddy Adu, Matej Delac, and Nathaniel Chalobah, who have played for multiple clubs before the age of 23.

What happened?

Why it matters for Oldham ## What comes next?

As of the 2025-26 season, Oldham is 10th in England League Two, with 68 points from 46 games, and a recent form of WLLLL. The team has scored 60 goals and conceded 44 this season, with a goal difference of +16. They are 19 points behind leaders Bromley in the title race.

In a recent match, Oldham secured a 3-0 win over Accrington ST on May 2, 2026. The team is currently on a 2-game winning run, with a recent form of 2W-0D-3L (WWLLL, most recent first).

Freddy Adu, a former striker, played for eight different clubs before the age of 22. He was signed by Nike at 13 and made his debut for the United States at 16. Adu played in the US, Portugal, Monaco, Greece, and Turkey, and even completed a trial at Manchester United in 2006.

Matej Delac, a Croatian goalkeeper, signed for Chelsea from Inter Zapresic in 2010. Despite spending eight years at the club, most of his time was spent on loan. By the age of 22, he'd played for eight different clubs - without making a single competitive first-team appearance for the Blues.

Nathaniel Chalobah, a midfielder, signed for Watford from Chelsea in 2017. Although it was the midfielder's first permanent transfer of his career, he had already completed six loan spells (including one with the Hornets in 2012), meaning he had played for a total of seven different clubs by the age of 22.

Josh McEachran, a midfielder, was regarded as one of Chelsea's brightest prospects after breaking into the first team as a 17-year-old in 2010. He spent the 2014-15 season loaned to Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem after previous loan spells with Swansea, Middlesbrough, Watford, and Wigan. At the age of 22, he signed for Brentford for an undisclosed fee - the seventh club of his career.

Ryan Bertrand, a defender, began his professional career at Chelsea and, by the age of 22, had played for six clubs following multiple loan moves. He is now 31 and currently without a club after leaving Sheffield Wednesday following the 2025-26 season.