Left back John Jordan Obita, 26, a player of British – Ugandan nationality joined English league one side Oxford United Football Club, according to Oxford mail.
He joined as a free agent, signing a year-long deal with another option to extend for 12 more months.
Obita was born in Oxford town to Ugandan parents and had featured for Championship side Reading for close to a decade until July 2020.
He has been training with the 1893 founded Oxford United for a fortnight training with the club, taking up the final available space in the squad, which was made available by not registering Derick Osei last month.
He gets to the team straight away and is expected to play in the Papa John’s Trophy contest at Walsall.
I grew up just around the corner and there’s always been something within me that I want to come and play for the club. I have known the chairman (Sumrith Thanakarnjanasuth) for four or five years now. He gave me loads of phone calls over the last couple of months, showing his eagerness to bring me in. That is what I want right now, people who want me and believe in me to try to progress and do well here, for myself and the club.
John Jordan Obita, Oxford United Football Club player
Obita provides an attacking option at left back, while he can also play further up the flank for manager Karl Robinson at the Kassam stadium.
You can only judge over the last 12 months and it seems to be he’s got over it. He has put in some really good performances, even after the lockdown. It is not like you are getting someone who has not played for a long period.
Karl Robinson, manager Oxford United Football Club
His time at Reading was held up by a knee injury which took three operations to solve, wiping out two seasons.
But Obita returned last term to make 26 appearances – 18 of which were starts – and featured regularly after the first lockdown in the summer.
Part of the delay in getting the deal done was down to United doing all they could to test his fitness.
Obita played 181 games for Reading, scoring seven goals, having made his debut back in August 2010 in a League Cup game.
He had several loan spells at Barnet, Gillingham, Portsmouth and Oldham Athletic.
In 2010, Obita played for the England U-18 National team, graduating to the U-19 team, U-20 and later U-21 teams.
Obita was Reading Player of the Season in 2013/14.
Profile:
• Full names: Jordan John Obita
• Date of Birth: 8thDecember 1993
• Place of Birth: Oxford, England
• Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
• Playing Position (s): Left back, Winger
Football Career:
Youth: 2001–2010 – Reading
Senior career:
• 2010: Reading
• 2012: Barnet (Loan)
• 2012: Gillingham (Loan)
• 2012: Portsmouth (Loan)
• 2013: Oldham Athletic (Loan)
- 2014 – June 2020 – Reading
- November 2020 – Oxford United
- National teams
- • 2010: England U-18
- • 2011: England U-19
- • 2014: England U-20
- • 2014: England U-21
