Reece Oxford Joining Borussia Monchengladbach on Loan from West Ham

West Ham United youngster Reece Oxford has joined Bundesliga club Borussia Monchengladbach on loan for the 2017-18 season, it was confirmed on Wednesday.

The deal was announced on the Bundesliga's official website and on Gladbach's Twitter account:

The 18-year-old burst on to the scene on the opening day of the 2015-16 season when he made a surprise Premier League debut for the Hammers away at Arsenal having appeared in three of the club's UEFA Europa League qualifiers in the summer.

Oxford played a key role in keeping Mesut Ozil and Co. quiet that day, maintaining a passing accuracy of 95 per cent—the highest of any player on the field—and he lost possession just once, per BBC Sport's Chris Osborne.

The defender made a total of 12 appearances for the Irons in all competitions over the course of the season, though after the match with the Gunners, they were largely just cameo appearances.

Matthew Lewis/Getty Images

He also captained West Ham's under-21 side and guided them to the 2015-16 Premier League Cup, scoring a penalty in the final shootout against Hull City.

Oxford made just two senior outings for West Ham last season, partially as a result of struggling with an ankle injury in the first half of the campaign, but he signed a four-and-a-half-year deal in December.

He joined Championship side Reading in January and made five appearances. He only played a full 90 minutes in his final outing, in which the Royals were thrashed 7-1 by Norwich City.

Oxford will be eager to become a regular fixture in Gladbach's defence straight away.

However, in the immediate future, he may just be restricted to the occasional outing or substitute appearance as he was at West Ham.

Though in the Arsenal match he demonstrated a remarkable composure that belied his tender age, it's important he is given time to develop his game without undue pressure placed on his young shoulders.

Oxford has potential and could become an excellent player in the future, but it will require time and patience from the fans and manager alike.