Former Lincoln City midfielder Tashan Oakley-Boothe has joined Hong Kong Premier League side Eastern on a free transfer.
The 26-year-old heads to Asia following a spell with Dunfermline Athletic, where he featured in last season’s Scottish Cup final against Celtic. Eastern announced his arrival today, describing the signing as an opportunity to bring ‘greater creativity, cohesion and stability’.
“The Club believes that Tashan’s arrival will enhance the team’s ability to control the tempo of play in midfield, while bringing greater creativity, cohesion and stability to the department. His addition is expected to help the team compete for positive results across all competitions!”
Oakley-Boothe spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan with us from Stoke City, although you could be forgiven for struggling to remember much of it. He made his debut against Exeter City on the opening day and finished with 25 appearances across all competitions, including 16 in League One, without scoring.
He was touted as one of Mark Kennedy’s targets from his time working in youth football, but that familiarity failed to translate into an effective signing. For me, he was lightweight and unable to influence games, eventually slipping out of the side after opportunities in matches such as the FA Cup defeat at Chippenham Town.
His final outing against Barnsley was particularly difficult to watch, with Oakley-Boothe looking completely disinterested after coming off the bench. That was his last appearance in red and white, bringing an underwhelming loan spell to a close.
It was a disappointing return for someone whose early career had promised considerably more. A Tottenham Hotspur academy graduate, he made his competitive first-team debut against Barnsley in the League Cup in September 2017, replacing Dele Alli, and started for England in their Under-17 World Cup final victory over Spain the following month.
He joined Stoke in January 2020, making 23 senior appearances before his loan move to Sincil Bank. Following his release by the Potters, he signed for Blackpool in August 2023, but made just ten appearances before heading to Portuguese top-flight outfit Estrela da Amadora in January 2024, where he featured only twice.
Dunfermline offered his next opportunity in February 2025, and his time in Scotland brought a more memorable contribution. He made 43 appearances for the Pars and scored the decisive penalty in their Scottish Cup semi-final shootout victory over Falkirk, before starting the final against Celtic at Hampden Park.
His new club, Eastern, were founded in 1932 and play at Mong Kok Stadium in Hong Kong’s top flight. Five-time league champions, most recently in 2015/16, they finished fourth last season but currently sit sixth in the 11-team division.
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