21 Under 21: Tyler Goodrham (Oxford)

Episode #20 | George Elek and Ali Maxwell list the most outstanding young players in the EFL.

21 Under 21 will be released every weekday at noon in June, with paid subscribers unlocking early access to all video content.

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“He is very small… but his physicality, his tenacity, and his pressing are a massive part of his strengths.” — George Elek

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Oxford United — League One, 2023-24:

• Born: 7 August 2003

• Position: Central Midfielder / Left Winger / Right Winger

• League Appearances: 43

• League Starts: 26

🎉 Party in the front

It’s taken until the third iteration of 21 Under 21 but, at long last, an Oxford United player has made the cut!

To be clear, there’s no Elek propaganda here – Tyler Goodrham is a very worthy inclusion. The 20-year-old has caught the eye of Premier League and Championship clubs alike, and it’s easy to see why.

Goodrham loves to get shots away and he has a real eye for goal, scoring eight times in Oxford’s promotion-winning campaign. The U’s No.19 has also shown that he is incredibly adaptable. For much of the season, he operated on the right or left wing; however, since Des Buckingham introduced the ‘reverse mullet’, Goodrham has played as one of the two No.8s. This change of position has also emphasised just how good the diminutive midfielder is out of possession.

Less than three years after playing for the likes of Hayes & Yeading and Slough (that’s two clubs, not one, nor three), Goodrham will be lining up in the Championship. The question: is where will he be three years from now?

📈 At a glance

Pizza charts informed by match data. Each chart rates a chosen player from 0-99 across different metrics (e.g. Dribbles) according to their “percentile rank”. A 75 score shows a player outperforming 75% of other players in the dataset. Each dataset is position-specific. Negative metrics are reversed. [Credit: Riley Roberts.]

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▶️ Watch: Episode 19