22-05-2025
Loanees who have impressed away from U's will be given chance in pre-season
OXFORD United players who have impressed while on loan away from the club will be given the chance to stake a place in the team during pre-season.
Eight members of the U's first team have been out on loan during the 2024/25 campaign, with some of those enjoying particularly strong seasons.
Left back Jack Currie is arguably the standout name, having played 44 times across all competitions for Leyton Orient, helping the O's reach Sunday's Sky Bet League One play-off final against Charlton Athletic.
In the second half of the season, Louie Sibley (Rotherham United) and both Owen Dale and Will Goodwin (Wigan Athletic) also played in League One, while Gatlin O'Donkor spent the majority of the campaign at Bristol Rovers.
Stephan Negru impressed in Salford City's play-off push in League Two, while James Golding and Josh Johnson both got experience in the Vanarama National League.
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United head coach Gary Rowett said: 'We've had some young players that have had some very good loans – O'Donkor, Negru, Golding, Currie, Sibs has gone out in the second half of the season – so different players, and there'll be a few more amongst that as well.
'Particularly for the younger ones, they'll come back and get pre-season with us for at least the first two or three weeks, and we'll see where they're at and where we think they're at.
'We've got some good players. We've got some players that have performed well in League One and beyond, and it's only right that you let them go out on loan because you want to bring them back and see how their development has gone in that period of time.
'There'll be some of the other players that have maybe gone out on loan that might be saying now 'I need to play every week because I've had that taste of it' and of course we'll try to find that opportunity for them, but it would be wrong for me to name different individuals and what their plan will be.
'Just as a general rule, if someone has done well out on loan, they'll come back and be part of our pre-season plans.'
