While Oxford United games come thick and fast there is one new face who is having to stay patient.
Young defender Luke McNally arrived in January from Irish club St Patrick’s Athletic and as he told us this week, is settling well with the U’s.
“I’ve really enjoyed my time here so far” he told us. “It’s a great club and everyone, the staff as well as the players, has made me feel at home straight away.
“It was obviously a big step for me to come over from Ireland and be away from home but I’ve got myself sorted off the pitch now with a place to live, a car and all those sort of things, and now it’s just a case of getting fully fit and pushing for a place soon.
“I haven’t played since November so I always knew I would have to work hard and get my fitness levels up for the first few weeks. The sports science and medical teams have been brilliant with me and I am definitely feeling the benefit: I can’t thank them enough.
"There are going to be one or two aches and pains and niggles as I go through that process but that’s natural and I feel really good at the moment. It’s been like a mini pre-season. The next stage is to be training with the team every day and go from there.
“I’m not naturally all that patient, I think every footballer is the same, but I am having to be at the moment. The Gaffer has been brilliant, he has made me feel involved with everything from the very first day.
“I have watched all of the games and the lads have been doing great. Obviously Rob and Elliott are doing brilliantly as a partnership and the whole defence is doing well, so my aim is just to keep building things up and hopefully be involved in some way a little later in the season.”