✍️ Atkinson completes Robins move

Saturday, July 3rd 2021

Rob Atkinson has joined Bristol City from Oxford United for an undisclosed fee, putting pen to paper on a three-year contract with the option of a further year.

The centre-back was ever-present for the U’s last season and impressed supporters as he went on to be named in the PFA League One Team of the Year and Sky Bet League One Team of the Season.

The 22-year-old helped his side reach the play-offs but, despite getting on the scoresheet himself, Atkinson’s side were beaten by eventual winners Blackpool over two legs.

Atkinson, who has risen through the divisions of English football, now makes the step up to Championship football with City and he’s looking forward to the challenge.

WATCH: ROB ATKINSON'S FIRST INTERVIEW

He told Robins TV: “I’m excited and looking forward to playing in the Championship. It’s another step up and I’ve done plenty of those in my career. I’ll be attacking it the same as I always have - that’s head on, working hard and hopefully it will go just as well as my previous step-ups.”

He’s also looking to learn more from his new teammates, with his eyes set on a busy settling-in period.

“I’ve tried to learn from my peers and players in my position so it’s good to hear there’s experience in players in my position, the gaffer being a centre-back himself when he played, so I can learn from him too,” he said.

“It’s not just the centre-backs, but the strikers too. There’s quality up front here and I’m sure in the first few training sessions they’ll teach me a thing or two and I can learn from them, so there’s plenty to learn in these first few weeks.”

Gallery

Atkinson joined Basingstoke Town for the 2016/17 season before moving to Fulham Under-23s. He was loaned to Braintree Town in the National League before a permanent move to division rivals Eastleigh in June 2019.

January 2020 brought about a switch to Oxford United and, though he was loaned back to Eastleigh until the rest of the season, injury took him back to the U’s the following month.

He then became a regular name for the U’s 2020/21 campaign, scoring twice and contributing to 12 clean sheets from 44 appearances in all competitions.

Atkinson now links up with his new teammates for pre-season, becoming Nigel Pearson’s third new signing of the summer, following the arrivals of former Leicester City duo Matty James and Andy King.