The ex-Portsmouth man left without a club after sensational history-making season - but expect plenty of takers

He was a pivotal player in a record-breaking title-winning side and also included in the divisional team of the season - yet the ex-Pompey man now finds himself without a club.

Certainly you’d imagine there will be plenty of interest in Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain after his release by Kidderminster, following a phenomenal National League South campaign.

And he also won’t be the only member of the former Port-Solent based Oxlade-Chamberlain clan on the move this summer, with older brother Alex pencilled in for a return to England from Besiktas.

Nomadic career for ex-Portsmouth man

Christian, who featured once for the Blues under Paul Cook after graduating through the Academy, has embarked on something of a nomadic career, with 12 clubs over the last nine years.

Nonetheless, the son of ex-Pompey favourite Mark Chamberlain has featured in League Two for Notts County and in the National League for Aldershot, as well as spending time with Gosport.

While last season, during a season-long loan at Truro, the 26-year-old proved to be a revelation as he helped them to become the first club from Cornwall to win promotion to the National League.

The historic achievement arrived on a dramatic final day of the National League South season, when they hammered St Albans City 5-2 to claim the title.

Oxlade-Chamberlain was a fixture in the victorious side, starting 45 matches and scoring once, primarily operating as a right-sided centre-half, as he flourished in regular first-team football under boss John Askey.

Having found himself out of favour at Kidderminster under Phil Brown, it had been the perfect start to loan life at Truro, with a 2-1 debut win over Maidenhead in August 2024 - in which he also scored.

Such were the strength of Oxlade-Chamberlain’s performances, at the season’s end was named in the Vanarama National League South Team of the Season, alongside fellow Pompey lad Nathan Ashmore.

However, after returning to Kidderminster, who suffered the agony of missing out on promotion from National League North on the final day, he was released following 26 appearances.

It leaves the former St John’s College pupil on the hunt for a new club this summer - although with a fine 2024-25 season under his belt to attract admirers.

Spotted by Pompey aged 12

Brother Alex may never have been on Pompey’s books, yet Christian joined the Academy at the age of 12 and was part of the same age group as Alex Bass, Adam May and Calvin Davies.

In Played Up Pompey Four, dad Mark Chamberlain said: ‘My youngest son Christian, however, did come to Fratton Park after being spotted at the age of 12. He was rejected by Southampton a couple of times and ended up attending Pompey’s development centre under Paul Hardyman.

‘On one occasion, they played the Academy and were the better team, so three or four of them were taken on, including Christian, who ended up earning professional forms at the same time as Alex Bass and making a living from football.’

In September 2015, Christian was handed his first-team debut by Cook when he appeared off the bench in a Johnstone’s Paint Trophy match at Exeter in September 2015 at the age of 17 years, two months and nine days at the time.

Football League chance with Notts County

Yet that proved to be his sole first-team outing for the Blues, with development instead arriving in the form of loans to Wimborne Town, Salisbury, Eastbourne Borough, Poole Town and Oxford City.

At the end of his Fratton Park contract in the summer of 2018, Oxlade-Chamberlain joined Notts County on a two-year deal as a right-back, although would make just four appearances in his time at Meadow Lane.

He later represented Ilkeston Town, Gosport, Aldershot, King’s Lynn, Kidderminster and then, memorably, last season with Truro.

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