Marcel Errol Emmanuel Oakley (born 30 October 2002) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for Scottish Championship club Arbroath, on loan from EFL Championship club Birmingham City.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Marcel Errol Emmanuel Oakley[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (2002-10-30) 30 October 2002 (age 20)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Birmingham, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Arbroath (on loan from Birmingham City) | ||
| Number | 32 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 20??–2021 | Birmingham City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021– | Birmingham City | 2 | (0) |
| 2022– | → Arbroath (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:05, 12 November 2022 (UTC) | |||
Oakley was born in Birmingham,[3] where he attended Ninestiles School in the Acocks Green district.[4] He took up a two-year scholarship with Birmingham City's academy in July 2019.[5] According to the then academy manager Kristjaan Speakman, Oakley "has the flexibility to play centre-back or right-back and is a very robust defender who excels in one v one duels in either position. His athletic qualities are improving and in possession as a right back he has the physical and technical qualities to join play in high areas of the pitch."[5] He made his debut for Birmingham's under-23 team in February 2020, playing the whole of a 1–0 win against Derby County U23,[6] and was a member of the team that finished as runners-up in the 2020–21 Professional Development League Northern Section,[7] but did not play in the final against Sheffield United U23 which secured the overall title.[8]
Oakley was one of five second-year scholars offered their first professional contract in 2021,[9] and one of four who accepted.[7] He played in first-team pre-season friendlies – against Barrow, he "was an outlet down the right hand side behind Odin Bailey and mopped things up at the back, making a couple of important blocks in the process"[10] – and was given squad number 52 for the 2021–22 season.[11]
Oakley made his senior debut on 10 August, starting at right back in Birmingham's EFL Cup first-round match at home to Colchester United of League Two. After 75 minutes, he scored the only goal of the match: he "was fed down the right hand side and he proceeded to lash the ball home into the far corner, via a nick from a defender."[12] His first Football League appearance came on 6 November when, with five senior defenders unavailable through injury and himself only recently returned to fitness, he started at right wing-back in a 2–1 defeat at home to Reading in the Championship. According to manager Lee Bowyer, "He was excellent. First half up and down, up and down and putting tackles, he's only a little lad, but he doesn't care, he just fights."[13] He started again on 23 November in a goalless draw away to Coventry City, but suffered a foot injury that was to keep him out until the following February.[14]
On 1 September 2022, Oakley joined Scottish Championship club Arbroath on loan until January 2023.[15] He made his debut two days later at home to Partick Thistle, coming on after 78 minutes with the score goalless but with his side having had a player sent off; Arbroath conceded twice in the last few minutes.[16]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[lower-alpha 1] | League cup[lower-alpha 2] | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Birmingham City | 2021–22[17] | EFL Championship | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 4 | 1 | |
| 2022–23[18] | EFL Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 4 | 1 | |||
| Arbroath (loan) | 2022–23[18] | Scottish Championship | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1[lower-alpha 3] | 0 | 11 | 0 | |
| Career total | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 1 | ||
Arbroath F.C. – current squad | |
|---|---|