Oxford are targeting promotion - Goodrham

Oxford play MK Dons at the Kassam on Saturday [Shutterstock] Oxford United midfielder Tyler Goodrham says the players are targeting an immediate promotion this season but are aware of the quality of their opponents in League One. United start their season on Saturday with a home game at the Kassam against newly promoted MK Dons. The U's won promotion out of the third tier to the Championship in 2024 before last season's relegation back to League One. That promotion campaign in particular saw Goodrham thrive in Des Buckingham's team, scoring 10 goals in 51 appearances. The academy graduate is targeting another successful season back where he was previously so effective. "We want to go up," Goodrham told BBC Radio Oxford. "We want to get promoted like everyone does. "We expect that from ourselves but we're also not naive in knowing that there are good teams in this league so we have to be on it every game and every day in training. "The manager gives us a platform to go and do that so we want to go up, score those goals and win loads of games to keep the fans cheering, but we've got to work hard to do that." Goodrham is returning from a lengthy lay-off last season where he missed a huge chunk of the campaign from January onwards because of an ankle injury on which he had surgery. The 22-year-old was forced off in Oxford's defeat at Ipswich Town on New Year's Day and finally returned to action on Saturday in the first round of the EFL Cup. "I've worked really hard to kind of get to this moment," Goodrham said. "Obviously I was gutted last season that I couldn't play and help to keep the club up but it's a fresh start for me. "I remember when I first came in that first year in League One where we were trying to go up, I had high standards for myself to go and be the creator and goalscorer. "I always have that expectation on myself and have those high standards to go out and perform to the best of my ability and help the team in the process. I hope to do that this season." Latest Oxford United news, analysis and fan views Listen to Oxford United content on BBC Sounds