Oxford United boss pinpoints why former Blackpool and Portsmouth man has been an instant success at the Kassam Stadium

Since his arrival at the Kassam Stadium, the forward has made 16 appearances, scoring once and providing three assists to help Des Buckingham’s side to a top six finish. The U’s hold a 1-0 lead over Peterborough United heading into the second leg of their League One play-off semi-final at the Weston Homes Stadium this evening (K.O. 8pm), as they look to book their place at Wembley alongside Bolton Wanderers.

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, and has impressed his current boss with what he’s offered.

"When we looked to recruit him, we were looking for a certain type of winger,” Buckingham told the Oxford Mail.

“He fitted that profile in terms of how we wanted to play, so he was always going to fit into the team, which is key and helps him because he comes in and plays.

“When you look for players, you look for the character of the player as well, and he’s a player where I think you could put him in any environment, and he’d cope quite well.

“People can see the work he does. We speak about Mark Harris, who works himself into the ground. People that work and that work ethic, that’s what people want to see here.”

The Crewe academy product first arrived at Bloomfield Road in 2022, and made a total of 47 appearances during his time with Blackpool. He also spent a season out on loan with Portsmouth, where he scored two goals and provided six assists in 50 outings.