The Mgroup Stadium played host to a smattering of former football stars including Souness, Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier and ex-Aston Villa and Oxford United striker Dean Saunders, with Souness’ team – DEBRA Legends – winning the mini-tournament.

Souness is president of the charity called DEBRA which supports and looks for a cure for Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), also known as ‘Butterfly Skin’.

The 73-year-old won three European Cups and five First Division titles in a six-year stay at Liverpool and also played for Tottenham Hotspur, Rangers, and Middlesbrough.

Souness went on to manage both the Reds and the Gers, as well six other clubs including Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers.

Graeme Souness managed DEBRA Legends at the charity match held at Oxford City (Image: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire)

The former Scottish international returned to the dugout for the charity match in Oxford and spoke exclusively to the Oxford Mail.

“It’s a fun day,” Souness told the Mail.

“It’s all about awareness [and]…awareness means money.

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“Money means we can do something for these kids. I’ve been involved with Debra for seven years, and it’s only now that we’ve started to make inroads and help these children.

“We’re now repurposing drugs…and we’re getting results with it.

“There’s no reason why any of your listeners should know this, but if we discovered a drug today, it’s 10 to 15 years before it can get licenced, and it’s tens of millions of pounds to do that.

“We don’t have that kind of money. Big pharmaceuticals won’t go near it because there’s not enough people suffering from this, so they won’t throw money at it to find a cure for this.

Graeme Souness on the touchline at Oxford City (Image: Oxford City FC)

“So we’re left to paddle our own canoe, and our canoe can only be paddled if we get more and more people on board. And that means awareness, which ultimately means raising a few more quid, which enables us to fund more repurposing of drugs.

“To repurpose a drug, it’s costing us about half a million quid for one drug, and there must be, I don’t know the exact number, I think we’ve got three on trial at the moment, but we’re looking to be trialling 10.

“So it’s big money.

“I love football. Football has been so kind to me. It’s great to see some old faces, big ones here who I’ve known forever.

“It’s just great to be amongst some old people, that’s where I feel most comfortable.”

The match at Oxford City was sponsored by NUTMEG! – a nostalgic football manager game, set in the ’80s and ’90s. Manage the teams and iconic players from England’s top four divisions, and relive the glory days when tackles were hard and a goal was a goal.

After relegation from the Championship last season, the U’s are looking to make moves in the upcoming summer transfer window whilst also looking to trim the edges of the squad ahead of their return to League One.

Links to potential arrivals have already begun to circulate.

However head coach Matt Bloomfield previously stated that the Yellows squad would not need a complete overhaul as they prepare for the third tier.

There is some dead weight making up squad numbers though, and outcast Louie Sibley is the latest to be linked with a move away from the club.

According to AllAboutLeagueOne, Sibley has drawn interest from MK Dons who were promoted from League Two last season after finishing second behind champions Bromley.

The Buckinghamshire outfit are reportedly keen on signing the 24-year-old who has fallen well out of favour in OX4 after joining the club in the summer of 2024.

Fans with U’s player Louie Sibley (Image: Andy Ffrench)

The ex-Derby County man arrived at the Kassam after the U’s won promotion to the Championship via the play-offs under former head coach Des Buckingham.

Struggling to make his mark on the side and scoring once in 14 Oxford appearances in his first season, Sibley went out on loan to League One in January 2025, joining Rotherham United.

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He scored two minutes into his debut and played 21 times for the Yorkshire club, bagging two goals in total and one assist.

Playing just five times last season for the U’s, Sibley went out on loan again to Bradford City this past January but featured only four times for them and fell out of the matchday fold altogether from February onwards.

In total, the former England youth player has managed only 19 matches across two seasons for United with only one goal and one assist to his name.

Gary Rowett instructs Louie Sibley (Image: Mike Allen)

He has never featured under head coach Matt Bloomfield who arrived in early January and so the expectation is that Sibley will be allowed to leave this summer.

The midfielder is one of a number of fringe players whose futures are up in the air ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

Other names include Peter Kioso, Siriki Dembele and Greg Leigh amongst a potential few others.

Players linked with joining the U’s so far include Colchester United’s Kyreece Lisbie – who has met with the club amid interest from Reading – Grimsby Town’s Jaze Kabia and Charlton Athletic defender Alex Mitchell.

The U’s suffered relegation from the Championship last term after finishing 22nd in the league and will compete in League One next season.

Oxford are short on defenders going into pre-season after seeing a total of 15 players depart last month; 10 released after their contracts expired and five returning to their parent clubs after loan spells in OX4.

Rumours are already beginning to circulate regarding transfer reinforcements for United, with the club having met with Colchester United winger Kyreece Lisbie in recent weeks as they look to fend off interest from rivals Reading for his services.

Colchester United’s Kyreece Lisbie celebrates after the Sky Bet League Two match at Blundell Park, Cleethorpes (Image: Nigel French/PA Wire)

There are now links to left back Fieldson who has impressed for Scottish Championship side Queen’s Park.

The 20-year-old, who was formerly on the books of Premier League Sunderland, is out of contract in Glasgow with the club having finished sixth in the league last season.

According to The Lower Tiers , Oxford are chasing the youngster who managed three goals and two assists in 42 appearances across all competitions.

🚨🗞️ EXCLUSIVE: Wigan, Plymouth, Oxford, Fleetwood and Salford Chase Queens Park Star Henry Fieldson

The left-back is out of contract this summer…

Link in the replies👇 #WAFC #PAFC #OUFC #FTFC #WeAreSalford pic.twitter.com/BMkPD5i2EP

— The Lower Tiers (@LowerTiers) June 1, 2026

The Yellows are not short of competition for his signature, however, with League One rivals Plymouth Argyle and Wigan Athletic both named as potential suitors.

League Two clubs Fleetwood Town and Salford City are also apparently in the running to bring Fieldson back across the border.

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The South Shields-born man graduated from the Sunderland academy but never made a senior appearance for the Black Cats.

He has since emerged as a standout young full back in the Scottish second tier leading to interest from across the EFL.

A number of SPL and EFL clubs, including Falkirk, St Mirren, Dundee, Dundee United, Plymouth and Wigan are lining up moves for Queen’s Park defender Henry Fieldson on a free transfer this summer. #falkirk #smfc #pafc #wafc #dufc #dundee pic.twitter.com/v6eE9n4wKU

— Pete O’Rourke (@SportsPeteO) April 17, 2026

A free transfer for a promising young talent could be a coup for Matt Bloomfield’s U’s, but the club do already have three left backs on the books heading into pre-season.

Jack Currie on the ball for Oxford United (Image: Jason Dawson)

First-choice name Jack Currie is contracted at the Kassam alongside the experienced Greg Leigh and recent signing from Huddersfield Town Ruben Roosken.

It is thought that Currie, 24, will attract interest this summer after a strong year last time out in the Championship, whilst the future of 31-year-old Leigh is uncertain after he was left out of the 25-man squad for the second half of last term.

Roosken, 26, signed permanently for United when his obligation-to-buy clause was triggered following his January loan move from the Terriers.

Any departure – or departures – in the left-back department could pave the way for a move for Fieldson and provide some more youth in that area.