Reece Oxford: "I was desperate to return to Borussia Mönchengladbach"
Reece Oxford's loan move to Borussia Mönchengladbach until the end of the season may have been one of the most unusual transfers of the winter window, but the young English defender is now just happy to be back in the Bundesliga.
The 19-year-old joined the Foals at the beginning of the 2017/18 campaign but was recalled by parent club West Ham United at the start of January, only to return to Gladbach on transfer deadline day at the end of the month.
Confused? You should be. But what is clear is that the defender's six-month taste of life in Germany's top flight last year whet his appetite for more and made him determined to head back to Borussia-Park.
"I was only away for a couple of weeks but now I'm delighted to be back again," the London native said in an interview on Gladbach's official website. "It feels great to be back and I hope we win on Saturday."
Oxford's departure from Gladbach was poorly timed from a personal perspective, as he had started three games in December: twice in the Bundesliga, as well as in the DFB Cup round of 16 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen. And although he made a couple of appearances for West Ham in January, Oxford knew where he wanted to be.
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"I was very impatient [to come back]. I'm fit and ready for the tasks ahead with Borussia. I want to help the team until the end of the season. I hope we can finish in the Europa League or Champions League places in the end.
"I was desperate to come back to Borussia," he continued. "Things went well for me at the end of the Hinrunde, which is why I wanted to return and complete the loan until the end of the season. My aims are to play more games for Gladbach and to help the team. We've got a lot of quality and is one of the best I've played in so far. That's why I wanted to return and be a part of it. I hope I'll get some playing time."
His next opportunity to do so will arrive on Saturday, when Gladbach host a Leipzig side including another talented English youngster who was determined to play in the Bundesliga – Ademola Lookman. Given that Oxford only recently returned to Germany he is unlikely to start the game, but with fellow defender Oscar Wendt struggling with injury, he may well be presented with a chance to shine in the coming weeks.
Watch: Highlights of Gladbach's 2-2 draw with Leipzig on Matchday 4
