THE future for young players at Oxford United is looking brighter, with manager Chris Wilder predicting they will have a much bigger role to play from next season.

One criticism of the club in recent seasons has been the lack of players who have graduated from the youth set-up into the first-team.

But following hard work to repair the damage done during United’s time in non-league, there are signs they are beginning to produce home grown players once more.

United’s bench last weekend for the 1-0 win at Dagenham included youth team players James Roberts, Callum O’Dowda and Sam Long.

The trio will be named in the squad again tomorrow, while teenagers Max Crocombe and Tyrone Marsh have also been handed first-team debuts this season.

Wilder is pleased with the way several youngsters have developed this season and is sure they will go on to make an impact.

The U’s boss said: “As always, they have to be good enough to get in the first team.

“The reason we haven’t used them in the past is they’ve been a little bit short, but we’re confident now that moving forward we’ll possibly take more young pros on in the summer than we’ve done in my time here.

“That can only benefit them, while attracting players into the system and encourage those already with us that they will get the opportunity.

“It will give us more bodies to use, which will get us over the massive problem we’ve had this year in terms of not having the numbers to play a reserve team game.”