Barnet FC are delighted to announce that they have signed 33-year-old midfielder John Oster. John is a full international for Wales and has been subject to two £1m plus moves in his career which has seen him perform in the Premiership for Everton, Sunderland and Reading.
Head Coach Mark Robson said, “I’m delighted to have signed a player of John’s quality and his much needed experience. Having played in the Premiership and Championship including last season for Doncaster Rovers this is a major coup for Barnet FC. One of our aims is to build a strong squad and credit is due to our chairman for enabling us to pursue this goal with this signing.”
Director of Football Paul Fairclough added, “John is a highly experienced player who can play anywhere in midfield. He has the ability to unlock defences and will also help guide the younger players in the squad.”
John Oster spoke exclusively to barnetfc.com and said, “I’m just delighted that I’ve signed here. I’m raring to go. I just want to play football and Barnet showed great interest in me. I spoke to Mark Robson and he wants to do things the right way by playing good football and he feels the results will come.”
Does he think his experience in the game will be a valuable asset to the team? “It’s quite a young team and I’d like to think I can bring my experience to the side. I’ve kind of been around the block having played for a number of clubs at different levels. It’s a bit of a balancing act for the manager as he needs to get the right blend of youth and experience.
“At 33, I’ve played a good amount of games – about 150 in the last 4 years – quite a lot for someone of my age.
“I want to do well personally but the main thing is the team and that comes before everything else. First and foremost we need to some results and get some points on the board.”
What type of player can Bees fans expect to see? “I’m a footballer first and foremost and I like to play with my feet rather than my head. I think I’ll suit the system as that’s the philosophy the manager is trying to get across.”
Barnetfc.com would like to welcome John to Underhill and wish him all the best for a successful season with The Bees.
By David Bloomfield and John Antoniou