Ex-Blackpool and Portsmouth man wins promotion to the Championship following successful run since Deadline Day move

The 25-year-old joined Oxford United on a permanent deal back in February, and has featured 18 times since making the move to the Kassam Stadium, scoring once.

Dale will be playing in England’s second division next season, after the U’s claimed a 2-0 victory over Bolton Wanderers in the League One play-off final, courtesy of a Josh Murphy brace.

The 25-year-old was mainly used in a wing-back role for the Seasiders during the first half of the season, making 23 league appearances in total. Since his move to Oxfordshire, he has been utilised further forward, where he has impressed.

After initially arriving at Bloomfield Road in 2022, the Crewe academy product featured in 47 games during his time in Tangerine. He also spent a season out on loan with Portsmouth, where he scored two goals and provided six assists in 50 outings.

While the result at Wembley will be celebrated by Dale, it is bad news for ex-Blackpool defender Ian Evatt- who is the manager of Bolton.

The 42-year-old, who made 254 appearances for the Seasiders, has been in the top job at the Toughsheet Community Stadium since 2020, during which time he’s led the club to promotion from League Two and won the EFL Trophy.