Oster: John Morgan (John)

2004-2004 (Player Details)

Right Winger

Born: Boston, Lincolnshire: 08-12-1978

Debut: v Preston North End (a): 06-11-2004

5’9” 10st 8lb (2003)

After signing for Grimsby Town in July 1996 Oster had a rapid rise to fame after being handed his first-team debut in the League by the Manager, Kenny Swain, at Charlton in January 1997. He was voted Grimsby’s ‘Young Player of the Year’ in 1997. He moved to Everton for £1.5 million aged only eighteen and having played only twenty-four League matches of which three were as substitute and scoring three goals, while at Blundell Park. He was widely regarded as a highly promising talent, but proved difficult to manage and never achieved his potential with the Toffees. A right-sided midfielder, he soon played for Wales at Under-Twenty-one level and was later called up to the full Welsh squad. Before joining Everton, Oster was at the centre of continued interest from Premiership clubs, with the Mariners resolutely holding out, as if by prior agreement, until Swain's good friend, Howard Kendall, was ready to bring the youngster to Goodison Park. Under the noses of the then high-profile clubs, Manchester United and Newcastle United, Kendall strode in to make Oster his second signing since taking over the reins at the Toffees. The common wisdom at the end of his first season was that Oster was over-played in the worst situation, a relegation dogfight, and it seriously damaged his confidence. This manifested itself in frustration when playing for Wales, where he managed to get himself sent off in two successive international matches. Under Kendall, he was too often called upon to play a winning role in a losing side. Some signs of his potential appeared deep into the 1998-99 season when Walter Smith finally called on the young lad as a substitute in the disastrous Worthington League Cup-tie with Sunderland. Oster had been playing brilliantly for the reserves, and was again thrown on to try and save the game, which he so very nearly did. He taunted the Sunderland defence with a dazzling display reminiscent of his early performances in a Royal Blue shirt. But Walter Smith is not renowned for trusting his fate to the kids. John Oster found it hard to get the recognition his performances warranted. He did not feature in any of the last eleven games, and was one of the five men listed for transfer by Walter Smith as the season ended. Overheard in the main stand, celebrating goals by Arsenal, his Everton days were surely numbered. An enigmatic, problematic, idiosyncratic artisan in the Duncan McKenzie mould, perhaps there is no longer any room for such characters in the Premiership. At Goodison he played forty League games, eighteen as substitute and scored one goal. He scored one in both of the Cups, making five appearances, three as a substitute in the FA Cup and five in the League Cup, including one as a substitute. Oster moved to Sunderland for a fee in excess of £1 million, but achieved little in his time at the club other than to frustrate supporters and end the career of reserve player Mark Maley by accidentally shooting him in the eye with an air rifle. He went out on loan to Barnsley, for a month from October 2001 playing two League games, Grimsby Town, in November and December 2002, where he scored five times in ten League games and a second spell for a month from February 2003, scoring once in seven League appearances. Oster was released by Sunderland in January 2005, shortly after returning to the Black Cats in disgrace from a loan at Leeds United. Leeds terminated Oster's loan spell from Sunderland after he was found guilty of a breach of discipline at the club's Christmas party. Jamie McMaster was also fined and boss Kevin Blackwell issued a warning as to his player's future conduct. Oster had already been fined by Leeds and warned about his future conduct after being arrested in Durham two weeks previous. His time at Elland Road was successful, on the field at least. He showed the sort of form that had persuaded Kendall to spend that money on him over seven years earlier. While with the Black Cats he made sixty eight League appearances, twenty being from the bench and scored five goals. He also scored once in the League Cup from nine starts and two games as a substitute, while he did not score in the FA Cup in ten appearances, three being from the bench nor in the Play-offs where he played twice. Following a short spell at Burnley, where he scored just once in fifteen League games, with three being as a substitute and three FA Cup games, one from the bench, they did not renew his contact at the end of the season and Oster joined Reading on 2nd August 2005 on a one year contract. He had spent time on trial with Preston and Millwall in the close season but neither club would take him on. Oster made his debut for Reading against Brighton and Hove Albion on 9th August 2005 as a substitute. He gained a CCCL Championship Winners’ medal in 2005-06. In January 2007, he extended his contract at the Madejski Stadium until the summer of 2008. He was an important squad member in 2005/6, playing on thirty-three occasions in the league, twenty-two times as a substitute. He also played eight times in cup competitions and scored twice. Later he proved to be an important player in the Premiership whenever called upon. He notched his first Premier League goal in nearly ten years against Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium where the Royals were defeated for the first time in 2007, by 2-1. Riverside Stadium where the Royals were defeated for the first time in 2007, by 2-1. He was released by Reading following their relegation from the EPL, on 16th May 2008. He had scored twice in twenty-nine starts and forty-seven games from the bench in the League, and one goal in fourteen games in the Cup competitions. Oster signed an initial six month contract for Crystal Palace on 11th August 2008, and scored on his debut against Hereford United in the Carling Cup. In January 2009 he signed a contract extension to the end of the season. While at Selhurst Park he scored three League goals in thirty-one games, including four off the bench.He also got one goal in one start in the League Cup but failed to score in his only F.A. Cup start. Oster left Crystal Palace in the summer and went on trial with Doncaster Rovers. After a successful trial, Oster signed a short-term contract on 7th August 2009. He made his Rover's debut the following day, coming on as a second-half substitute against Watford. He was a regular for Doncaster except when missing games on suspension after being sent off. At the end of the 2009-10 season he had scored once in forty League appearances, of which four were from the bench, and had made two appearances in each of the F.A. And League Cups, without scoring. On 29th June 2010 he signed a two-year contract with Doncaster. He was capped for Wales thirteen times at full International level, once for the‘B’ team, nine times for the Under-Twenty-one team as well as at Youth level.