Oxford United are pleased to announce the signing of Owen Dale who joins the club from Blackpool on a permanent deal for an undisclosed fee.

25-year-old Owen first caught the eye after stepping up from the Academy to First Team at Crewe Alexandra. In 2022 he signed for Blackpool ahead of their Championship campaign and, having made 43 appearances on loan at Portsmouth last season, has since featured regularly for Blackpool this season.

“He is an exciting player,” Head Coach Des Buckingham told oufc.co.uk. “He gets at defenders, has a lot of energy and has played over 200 games so he knows his game and we feel still has plenty of potential to keep improving. With Tyler Burey and Will Goodwin also joining in this window, we’ve really strengthened our attacking options. Owen will go straight into the squad to face Reading on Saturday.”

Owen said on joining the club: “I played against Oxford earlier in the season and really liked the way things are set up here. I met the Manager and know he has big plans and, having watched them against Portsmouth on Tuesday night, you can see what a good side they are. I know there are also players coming back into the group who will strengthen the squad for a real push between now and the end of the season.”

Head of Recruitment, Ed Waldron, added: “It’s another player who a few clubs were chasing but he wanted to come to us, which is a real endorsement of what we’re doing. We’ve signed him as a winger as that’s where he has played most of his football, although he can also play as a wing back so there is versatility there. He has a good delivery, works hard and we believe he will make a big impact as we head towards the business end of the season.”

Owen will wear number 30 for the U’s. Email commercial@oufc.co.uk or call 01865 337503/513 to enquire about sponsoring him.