Bristol Rovers have made Josh McEachran their fifth signing of the summer

Daniel Hargraves Bristol Rovers reporter

07:00, 01 Jul 2025

New Bristol Rovers signing Josh McEachran came through the youth ranks at Chelsea(Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Bristol Rovers have confirmed the signing of Josh McEachran as their fifth addition of the summer window after the 32-year-old midfielder joined on a free transfer following his release from Oxford United.

The Cobham youth product has played in the Champions League and Premier League for Chelsea, made over 150 appearances in the Championship and was more recently a League One play-off winner with United before helping them establish their place in the second tier last term.

At 32, he arrives in BS7 as the most senior figure in Rovers’ playing squad as things stand and should offer an abundance of knowledge and expertise as the Pirates look to secure promotion back into League One at the first time of asking.

Although the midfielder hasn’t played since January, it remains an exciting and intriguing addition to Darrell Clarke’s squad. Therefore, Bristol Live spoke to the Oxford Mail’s Oxford United reporter Liam Rice to get the lowdown on McEachran’s time at the Kassam Stadium and a flavour of what the midfielder will bring to the Mem…

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The midfielder’s first season was a memorable one individually for Oxford-born McEachran and for the club, with promotion to the Championship secured.

McEachran was brought to United by Liam Manning, with the duo having worked together previously at MK Dons. McEachran performed the deep-lying playmaker role well, but then had to settle for more of a squad role under Des Buckingham after Manning left for Bristol City.

McEachran came on at Wembley though in the play-off final, and then impressed during the opening couple of months in the Championship last season. When Gary Rowett replaced the sacked Buckingham though, game time was limited to just one FA Cup match.

Why hasn’t he played since an FA Cup game in January?

Rowett was appointed to keep the U’s in the Championship, and the easiest way to do that was to make the team a tough nut to crack. He opted for a midfield combination of Cameron Brannagan and Will Vaulks to provide the bite and tenacity in the middle of the park, and McEachran found himself on the bench or out of the squad due to the form displayed by Brannagan and Vaulks, plus the hugely impressive Chelsea loanee Alex Matos.

Josh McEachran pictured in action for Oxford United last season(Image: Cameron Howard/Getty Images)What type of midfielder is he?

A classy player with an excellent passing range. McEachran can dictate play from deep with short passes, incisive through balls, and longer diagonals to the wide areas. He’s a battler and will get stuck in too. McEachran played his best football for United in the deep midfield role, preferably with a partner next to him.

What are his best attributes?

His aforementioned passing, his calmness under pressure, and his leadership. His experience at the highest level, coming through the Chelsea academy and making 22 appearances for the club, means he is a brilliant example to younger players.

How will Oxford United fans reflect on his time at the club?

Having never established a truly long-term place in the starting XI, McEachran often felt like a very useful squad player. But whenever called upon, even after longer stints out of the team, McEachran stepped in and performed superbly. He was a reliable player and the fact he is Oxford-born ensured that fans warmed to him and wished him all the very best following the news of his release earlier this summer.

How much of a coup do you think this is for a League Two club?

When I heard that McEachran was joining Rovers, I must admit that I was a little bit surprised. A League One switch would’ve been my assumption, but I guess that the Pirates are targeting promotion following their relegation last season. McEachran should be able to strut his stuff in League Two, the lowest level of football he will ever have played at. Geography I’m sure was a big factor too, with McEachran launching an education football academy in Oxford at the end of May.

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