| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joshua Mark McEachran[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1993-03-01)1 March 1993 (age 32) | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Oxford, England | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2] | ||||||||||||||||
| Position | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Bristol Rovers | ||||||||||||||||
| Number | 20 | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2010 | Chelsea | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2010–2015 | Chelsea | 11 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2012 | →Swansea City (loan) | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | →Middlesbrough (loan) | 38 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | →Watford (loan) | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2014 | →Wigan Athletic (loan) | 8 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | →Vitesse (loan) | 19 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2015–2019 | Brentford | 90 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Birmingham City | 8 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Milton Keynes Dons | 88 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2023–2025 | Oxford United | 36 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Bristol Rovers | 8 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | England U16 | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | England U17 | 12 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | England U19 | 6 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2014 | England U20 | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2010–2013 | England U21 | 13 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 11:07, 14 September 2025 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||
Joshua Mark McEachran (born 1 March 1993) is an English professionalfootballer who plays as amidfielder forEFL League Two clubBristol Rovers.
McEachran is a product of theChelsea academy and won 38 caps and scored three goals forEngland at youth level. He spent several years withChelsea as a professional but played little, and spent timeon loan with clubs at both home and abroad. He moved on toBrentford in 2015, playing 90 league matches over four seasons, and spent 16 months withBirmingham City; both spells were disrupted by injury. He describes his midfield style as "a holder and a passer, dictating play".[3]
Amidfielder, McEachran began playing football for Garden City in the Oxford Mail Boys League, where he was spotted by aChelsea scout.[4] He joinedthe Blues' academy at the age of seven.[5] He signed a two-year scholarship deal before the beginning of the2009–10 season and helped the Blues' youth team win theFA Youth Cup for the first time in 50 years.[6][7] Their achievement meant that the entire squad collectively won Chelsea's Young Player of the Year award.[8] He also broke into thereserve team and made 9Premier Reserve League appearances.[7] McEachran made 10 Premier Reserve League appearances during the2010–11 season, helping the team to first place in the Premier Reserve League South, though he did not feature in the knockout stage, which Chelsea won, to win the league outright.[9] He made sporadic appearances for the reserves during the2011–12 and2013–14 seasons.[10][11]
McEachran received his first exposure to the first team during the 2009–10 season, when he travelled with the squad to aLeague Cup fifth round match versusBlackburn Rovers in December 2009, and he trained with the first team throughout the first half of 2010.[12] McEachran was named in Chelsea'sChampions League squad for the2010–11 season and received his maiden call when he was named as a substitute for a group stage match versusMŠK Žilina on 15 September 2010.[13][14] He made his senior debut when he replacedYossi Benayoun after 79 minutes of the 4–1 victory.[15] He became the first player born after the Champions League began on 25 November 1992 to take part in the competition.[16][17] McEachran made hisPremier League debut on 25 September in a 1–0 defeat toManchester City, replacingRamires after 81 minutes.[15] He made his first Chelsea start in the return Champions League match against Žilina on 23 November and also started the Blues'dead rubber group stage match versusMarseille on 8 December, completing his first 90 minutes for the club.[14] With managerCarlo Ancelotti preferring to use him in a deep midfield role,[7] he went on to make 17 appearances in his debut season.[15] In recognition of his performances, McEachran was awarded the Chelsea Young Player of The Year award on 19 May 2011.[8] McEachran's regular inclusion in the squad was viewed bypundits as a suggestion that the Chelsea administration recognised the importance of younger players in an otherwise ageing team.[18]
On 15 July 2011, McEachran signed a new five-year contract and scored his first senior goal for the club in thefriendly2011 Premier League Asia Trophy final versusAston Villa two weeks later.[19][20] McEachran made just five appearances during the2011–12 season and was frozen out by new managerAndré Villas-Boas.[21][22] From January 2012 onwards, he spent much of his subsequent Chelsea career away onloan and was not called into a squad before departing fromStamford Bridge on 10 July 2015.[23][24][25] McEachran made 22 appearances and scored no goals during five seasons as a senior player at Chelsea.[26]
On 17 January 2012, McEachran completed a loan move to Premier League newcomersSwansea City until the end of the2011–12 season.[27] The move reunited him withBrendan Rodgers, his former Chelsea youth and reserve team manager.[27] He made his debut in a 2–0 defeat toSunderland on 21 January, coming off the bench in the 66th minute forGylfi Sigurðsson.[21] McEachran made his first start for the Swans in aFA Cup fourth round match againstBolton Wanderers, playing the full 90 minutes of the 2–1 defeat.[28] After dropping back to the bench, he finished his spell with just five appearances.[21] Looking back in January 2013, McEachran revealed that the move was "one of those things in life which just didn't work out" and that he learned "nothing" during his spell.[29]
On 20 August 2012, McEachran joinedChampionship clubMiddlesbrough on loan for the entirety of the2012–13 season.[30] He made his debut for Middlesbrough the next day, playing the full 90 minutes of a 3–2 victory overBurnley.[31] He became regular for Boro, creating a strong midfield partnership withGrant Leadbitter and also playing on the left of midfield,[7] though an ankle injury picked up on international duty hampered his progress in the second half of the season.[32] He made 38 appearances during a season in which Middlesbrough challenged for a playoff place,[31] but drifted well out of contention.[33] McEachran was voted by the Boro supporters as the club's Young Player of the Year.[34]
On 20 September 2013, McEachran joined Championship sideWatford on loan until 2 January 2014, with an option to extend the loan until the end of the2013–14 season.[35] His debut came four days later with a start in theLeague Cup third round versusNorwich City,[36] but he was substituted forConnor Smith on 38 minutes after suffering aback spasm.[37] McEachran made just eight appearances for Watford before returning to Stamford Bridge when his initial loan expired.[36][38]
On 23 January 2014, McEachran signed with Championship clubWigan Athletic on loan until the end of the2013–14 season.[39] TheManchester Evening News reported that he had taken a wage cut to go to theDW Stadium and managerUwe Rösler commented that McEachran was "not at his best, so we have to make sure he recovers form, he recovers confidence and he is capable of performing consistently at a high tempo in the modern way of football".[40] McEachran began his spell with regular substitute appearances and after building up his fitness he made something of a breakthrough into the starting lineup,[41] making seven starts from late February through to the end of the season.[24] He started in the Latics' FA Cup quarter-final and semi-final matches versus Manchester City andArsenal respectively,[24] though his firstWembley appearance in the latter match ended after ashootout defeat.[42] After a fifth-place finish in the Championship saw the Latics qualify for theplayoffs, he was left out of the squad for both legs of the semi-finals versusQueens Park Rangers, which resulted in a 2–1 aggregate defeat.[24][43] McEachran finished his spell with 11 appearances.[36]
On 17 August 2014, it was announced that McEachran had joinedDutchEredivisie clubVitesse Arnhem on loan until the end of the2014–15 season.[44] One week later, McEachran made his debut, coming off the bench in the 74th minute forMarko Vejinović during a 2–1 defeat toPEC Zwolle.[25] Either side of an ankle injury suffered in October,[45] McEachran made sporadic appearances and spent time in the reserves, before breaking into the starting lineup in April 2015.[25] Suspensions to Marko Vejinović andDavy Pröpper opened up a spot in midfield and McEachran made eight starts through to the end of the season.[46] Four of those starts came in the Eredivisie European competition playoffs, with McEachran helping Vitesse to see off PEC Zwolle andHeerenveen to qualify for a place in the2015–16 UEFA Europa League third qualifying round. He finished the campaign with 21 appearances.[47]
On 10 July 2015, McEachran signed for Championship clubBrentford on a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee,[48] reported to be £750,000.[49] On 25 July, it was announced that McEachran would be out for three months after suffering afractured foot in a collision in training withToumani Diagouraga.[50][51] He finally made his debut as a substitute versusCardiff City on 15 December and made his first start in a 2–1 victory overReading two weeks later.[52] By mid-January 2016, McEachran was an ever-present starter and made 15 further appearances before his season was ended through a re-fracture of his foot during a training session on 24 March 2016.[52][53] He began the2016–17pre-season fully fit,[54] but again injuries and fitness problems prevented him from holding down a starting place once the regular season got underway.[55][56][57] By January 2017, McEachran had broken into the starting lineup and was showing his best form since joining the club,[58] but he was ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering an ankle ligament injury during a 2–1 win overSheffield Wednesday on 21 February.[59]
McEachran returned fit for the2017–18 pre-season,[60] but managed just four appearances early in the regular season before suffering a leg injury during a 2–2 draw withBristol City on 15 August 2017.[61][62] He returned to match play one month later and alternated between a starting and a substitute role until the end of the season, which he finished with 28 appearances.[63] McEachran began the2018–19 season as an ever-present starter in league matches and scored the first professional goal of his career with the equaliser in a 1–1 draw withBirmingham City on 2 October 2018.[64] He reverted to a substitute role afterKamohelo Mokotjo's return from injury in early December after making 28 appearances during the season,[65][66] and was dropped from the squad entirely in early April 2019.[64] McEachran turned down a new contract and departedGriffin Park in June 2019.[67][68] He finished his Brentford career with 101 appearances and one goal.[26]
On 27 September 2019, McEachran signed a two-year contract with Championship club Birmingham City on afree transfer.[69] After spending several weeks regaining match fitness,[70] he made his debut on 22 October as a second-half substitute in the Championship match againstBlackburn Rovers which Birmingham won 1–0.[71] He made nine appearances, including six starts, over the next three months,[72] but 12 minutes into his seventh start, on 4 February 2020, hedamaged his cruciate ligament. The knee required complex surgery,[73] and he returned to fitness in November.[74] In January 2021, he was one of three midfielders removed from the oversized first-team squad,[75] and he left the club by mutual consent on 31 January.[76]
After training with the club, initially for fitness, McEachran signed a short-term contract withLeague One clubMilton Keynes Dons on 1 March 2021 until the end of the season.[77] On 29 July 2021, McEachran signed a new deal keeping him at the club for the2021–22 season,[78] and on 17 June 2022 extended his contract again taking him into his third season with the club.[79]
McEachran joined League One clubOxford United on 1 July 2023 after his MK Dons contract expired.[80] Following promotion through the play-offs,[81] during which McEachran "played a pivotal role", he accepted a contract extension for the2024–25 season.[82] He was released at the end of that season.[83]
On 30 June 2025, McEachran joined League Two clubBristol Rovers on a two-year contract.[84]
McEachran made his debut for the EnglandU16 team aged just 14,[85] with a start in a 2–2Victory Shield draw withNorthern Ireland on 11 October 2007.[86] He went on to becomecaptain of the team and also appeared in the2008 event, but missed the final two games of the tournament through injury.[87] In total, he won five under-16 caps, the last coming in a 3–1 victory overRussia in the opening match of the 2009Montaigu Tournament.[85]
McEachran received his first call into theU17 squad for the final2009 European U17 Championshipelite qualification match versusHungary on 30 March 2009 and he started in a 2–0 victory, which saw England qualify for the finals.[88] After failing to make the cut for the tournament finals, McEachran was a regular inqualification for the2010 European U17 Championship and was included in the squad for the finals inLiechtenstein.[89] He scored in the opening group match against theCzech Republic and helped the team through to the final and won his 12th and final cap in the final showdown withSpain, which England came from behind to win 2–1.[89] McEachran was named in the Technical Team of the Tournament.[90]
Fresh off the back of his success in the 2010 European U17 Championship, McEachran made his debut for theEngland under-19 team at the age of 17, in a 2–0 friendly victory overSlovakia on 2 September 2010.[91] He scored his first goal for the team in the following match, a 6–1 rout ofAlbania in their opening2011 European U19 Championship qualifier.[91] He won a further four caps before his U19 career was cut short by England's failure to qualify for thetournament finals.[91]
McEachran was named inEngland's under-20 squad for the2014 Toulon Tournament and made two appearances as England finished the tournament in fourth place.[92][93]
While still a regular for the U17s, McEachran won his first cap for theEngland under-21 team in a 2–0 friendly defeat toGermany on 16 November 2010, when he came on as a substitute forNathan Delfouneso.[94] He made his first competitive appearance for the team in England's opening2013 European U21 Championship qualifier againstIceland on 6 October 2011,[94] replacingMartyn Waghorn after 63 minutes, who had in turn replaced Delfouneso during the first half.[95] He was a regular in the team through the qualification period and scored his only U21 goal with apenalty in a 4–0 friendly defeat ofAustria on 25 March 2013.[96] McEachran was a member of the squad for the2013 European Under-21 Championship finals, and made two appearances before England were eliminated in the group stage.[94]
In August 2011, it was reported thatEngland managerFabio Capello was monitoring McEachran's progress.[97] Because his maternal grandfather is Scottish,[98] McEachran is also eligible to representScotland.[99] When theScottish Football Association approached him in February 2012, he did not express any desire to switch his footballing allegiance.[100] He was named in the 80-man shortlist for theGreat Britain football team to play in the2012 Olympic Games,[101] but was not named in the final squad.[102]
A central midfielder, McEachran idolisedZinedine Zidane growing up and commented "it was everything about him, his goals, his touches. He was the complete all-round midfielder".[103] When Zidane retired in 2006, McEachran looked up toAndrés Iniesta.[103]Ray Wilkins andStuart Pearce have commended on McEachran's incisive passing,[104] while André Villas-Boas and Brendan Rodgers have lauded his vision on the pitch and technical abilities, comparing him toLuka Modrić,Jack Wilshere andSamir Nasri.[105]Peter Bosz commented in 2015 that McEachran "needs to improve his defensive play", but "will certainly be a player at a good level".[46]
McEachran was born inOxford[106] and raised inKirtlington,Oxfordshire; he attended Kirtlington Primary School andMarlborough School inWoodstock.[4] His parents, Mark and Julie, have four other children:[98] Danielle, Zac, Will and George.[107][108] Zac trained with Chelsea's academy up to under-14 level and has since playednon-League football for Oxfordshire clubsOxford City andBanbury United,[108][109] whileGeorge turned professional with Chelsea and was a member of England's2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup-winning squad.[110] Since August 2016, McEachran has been in a relationship withLillie Lexie Gregg; the couple's first child, a son, was born in 2018.[111][112]
| Season | Club | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Chelsea | 2010–11[15] | Premier League | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6[c] | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| 2011–12[21] | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 22 | 0 | ||
| Swansea City (loan) | 2011–12[21] | Premier League | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||
| Middlesbrough (loan) | 2012–13[31] | Championship | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 38 | 0 | |
| Watford (loan) | 2013–14[36] | Championship | 7 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | ||
| Wigan Athletic (loan) | 2013–14[36] | Championship | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | |
| Vitesse (loan) | 2014–15[47] | Eredivisie | 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 4[d] | 0 | 21 | 0 | |
| Brentford | 2015–16[113] | Championship | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 15 | 0 | |
| 2016–17[114] | Championship | 27 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 29 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18[47][e] | Championship | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 28 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19[66] | Championship | 24 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 29 | 1 | ||
| Total | 90 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 101 | 1 | |||
| Birmingham City | 2019–20[72] | Championship | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21[117] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | |||
| Milton Keynes Dons | 2020–21[117] | League One | 14 | 0 | — | — | — | 14 | 0 | |||
| 2021–22[118] | League One | 35 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6[f] | 0 | 43 | 0 | |
| 2022–23[119] | League One | 39 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[g] | 0 | 43 | 0 | |
| Total | 88 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 100 | 0 | ||
| Oxford United | 2023–24[120] | League One | 24 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7[h] | 0 | 34 | 0 |
| 2024–25[121] | Championship | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | |
| Total | 36 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 49 | 0 | ||
| Bristol Rovers | 2025–26[122] | League Two | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| Career total | 313 | 2 | 26 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 373 | 2 | ||
Chelsea Reserves
Oxford United
England U16
England U17
Individual
Mark Wotte has had a chat with Josh McEachran, Chelsea's English-born midfielder with Scottish parents, but the Scottish Football Association performance director has not sensed any desire for the player to switch allegiance from England (Sunday Times)
