City Move To Secure Oscar Thorn In The Side

August 26, 2025 Gary Lincoln City, News, Transfers 0

Credit Chris Vaughan / Lincoln City FC

The Imps have completed the signing of young forward Oscar Thorn from Colchester United.

The Imps will pay an undisclosed fee for the 21-year-old, who has made 35 appearances for the Essex side since joining them in February 2023 from Norwich City’s Academy.

He made his senior debut against Tottenham Hotspur U21 in the Vertu Trophy and had loans with Bath City and Chelmsford before establishing himself in the first team at the U’s.

“We are delighted that we have been able to bring Oscar to the club.  He is quick, strong, direct, carries the ball well and adds another dimension to our attacking options. His physicality fits our profile well,” head coach Michael Skubala said.

“We also see Oscar’s huge potential and a player who can really develop in our environment.”

“We have been aware of Oscar for some time and whilst we know that it’s early in his development curve, we are backing our judgment in signing a player with huge potential,” City’s director of football Jez George added.

“Oscar has really developed over the past 12 months under the guidance of a management team well-known to the Imps fans. He will join the squad and immediately compete for a starting position in the team, but we have also signed him because at 21 years old he has so much future growth and we see him as an exciting potential asset.”

Danny Cowley on Oscar Thorn

Courtesy Graham Burrell

Thorn was given his debut by current Colchester boss Danny Cowley, who had a keen eye for a player during his time at City. He was quick to talk up our new signing’s potential when our bid was accepted last week, a bid that kept him out of the side against Barrow this weekend.

“Oscar’s a great kid, a fantastic athlete, he’s got a really high ceiling because he’s a good learner as well,” said Cowley.

“He’s 6ft 3in and he moves ten metres a second so of course, other teams are going to see that potential.”

In a previous interview, Cowley expressed his understanding that Colchester’s players were the subject of interest, and as with our players in the past, he wouldn’t stand in the way of a bigger move.

“We have so many good young players at the club who are all on an upward trajectory and improving every day, so it’s no surprise that other clubs see this and want to take them.

“While we’re disappointed, we understand this and I don’t want to be the coach that helps the player with one hand and then punches them in the face with the other by stopping them when bigger, better clubs come in for them.”

Bigger, better clubs. Thanks, Danny.

Oscar Thorn in Numbers

Thorn arrives from Colchester United with a reputation as a versatile wide man who can also fill in deeper roles. At just 21, he already has significant senior experience under his belt, and his data paints the picture of a developing player with raw qualities that could be sharpened in League One.

His Colchester career has seen him register seven assists across 1,685 minutes, despite failing to find the net himself. That headline figure immediately stands out, suggesting a player who can carve out opportunities for others. His crossing numbers were mixed, 45 attempts at 38% accuracy, but when deliveries did connect, they often led to meaningful chances. He also attempted 95 dribbles, completing just over a quarter, showing a willingness to take on defenders but also an area that clearly requires polish.

Defensively, Thorn was no passenger, and at 6ft 3in, there is little surprise there. He won nearly 53% of his duels and was frequently tasked with recovery work, often dropping back to cover full-back positions. That flexibility saw him deployed both as a winger and as a right-back, a versatility that will have appealed to our recruitment team.

In short, he’s a project player: not yet the finished article, but one who offers depth, energy, and a supply line from wide areas that could blossom under the right coaching. In fact, you could liken his signing for us to Jovon Makama signing for Norwich, which is ironic, given Thorn was at Norwich before Colchester.