Goalkeeper Simon Eastwood returns to the U’s
Goalkeeper Simon Eastwood today agreed to sign for Oxford United at the start of July following his release by Blackburn Rovers.
Eastwood, 26 years old, returns to Oxford for his second spell, having previously joined the club from Huddersfield in the summer of 2010, ahead of United’s first season back in League 2. In his year at the U’s, Eastwood was unable to get any game time due to Ryan Clarke being an ever-present that season. He joins on a one-year contract with the club holding an option for a further year.
After leaving United, Eastwood signed for Halifax and then teamed up with Michael Appleton at Portsmouth before signing for Blackburn in the summer of 2013. He was first-choice keeper for the Championship side before Paul Robinson’s return from injury.
After agreeing to sign, Eastwood told oufc.co.uk: “It’s a lot different to when I was here before. Back then I was just a kid of 17 or 18 but now I’ve got a hundred times more experience. It feels like a new club and I’m looking forward to it.
“I played with Michael Appleton before at Portsmouth and felt I really progressed there. He was a big part of why I signed here.”