TYLER Goodrham is enjoying the hybrid role being afforded to him at Oxford United.
Injuries and availability have meant the 21-year-old has started every single Sky Bet Championship game for the U’s out wide this season.
That’s as opposed to the midfield role in which Goodrham blossomed last season, when United head coach Des Buckingham utilised him as one of the two attacking midfielders.
Although Goodrham has started on the wing this season, he has often ended games in midfield.
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In the past three matches for example, Greg Leigh has come off the bench to replace one of the advanced midfielders and then moved to a left wing role.
In turn, that’s allowed Goodrham to then take over the vacated hole in midfield.
He said: “You’re definitely more involved when you’re in the middle, so in that aspect, I do like it. Out wide, you probably are a bit more isolated.
“As long as I’m playing, I’m not really too fussed. I do really enjoy playing in the middle, but I don’t mind playing out wide.
“The manager is so good with giving me the freedom if I do need to come inside or roll in, then I can do that.
“In training, the gaffer will make sure I know what role I need to play, just to make sure I go from sprinting up and down out wide to a completely different role in the middle, where you’ve got to have that calm head and not be so hot on my heels.”
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While out wide, Goodrham has come up against a range of full backs, and he highlighted West Bromwich Albion’s Torbjorn Heggem, a centre back by trade, as one example of the different challenges posed in the Championship.
Goodrham said: “Every team and every player gives you a different challenge. The West Brom full back was about six foot four, and then you go from that to someone who’s a bit shorter.
“It poses a different challenge each time, but I don’t mind it. As long as I’m playing, wherever I’m playing, I don’t mind.
“Me not being the biggest and quickest myself, I’ve always had to do that throughout my career, so it’s no different this time.”
United’s injury list currently includes the likes of left back Joe Bennett, midfielder Cameron Brannagan, and wingers Siriki Dembele, Kyle Edwards, Matt Phillips and Przemyslaw Placheta.
Goodrham said: “You look at the players that are out, and they’re key big figures in the group, but we’ve also got really good squad depth.
“The incomings in the summer really helped. You can make excuses, but we won’t because we’ve got good enough players, and players who are more than capable at this level to go and compete in and win games.”
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