TYLER Goodrham has used his time out of the Oxford United starting line-up as a learning experience in order to become a better player.

The 20-year-old winger established himself as a key player towards the end of last season, playing an instrumental role as the U’s steered clear of relegation from Sky Bet League One.

His two goals at home to Cheltenham Town and at Forest Green Rovers helped United collect crucial wins which ultimately kept the club in the third tier.

That form continued into this season, with three goals in his first five League One games, including a match-winning brace in the 2-1 win at home to Charlton Athletic.

However, he then found himself in and out of the side, culminating in the current three-game run in the league where he has come off the bench in every match.

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The last league game that Goodrham started was the 2-0 win away to Lincoln City at the end of October.

The United academy graduate hasn’t let it get him down though, instead using the experience to learn more about himself and the game.

He said: “I speak to my partner, and I speak to my agent about it, and we know there are going to be times where I’m not necessarily going to be how I was at the start of the season.

“I know I haven’t quite been where I want to be at, in the last month or two, but I feel like I’ve really used it as a learning curve on how to adapt and get out of those down periods.

“It’s one of them learning things where I’m still getting used to it and trying to be that young energetic kid, but with a lot more responsibility, which I quite enjoy.

“I’m still trying to learn and figure myself out, and what to do and where to be, but it’s always a learning curve and I’m always trying to learn.”

This is Oxfordshire:

The major reason for Goodrham’s time in and out of the starting line-up is the depth the U’s boast in wide areas.

Goodrham finds himself battling with the likes of Stan Mills and Josh Murphy, while Marcus Browne and Kyle Edwards also provided competition on the wing, prior to picking up hamstring injuries.

Furthermore, United switched to a three-man defence with wing backs under previous head coach Liam Manning, a system which saw Billy Bodin and Ruben Rodrigues occupy two No 10 roles behind Mark Harris up front.

“If you look at the squad depth that we’ve got, especially in the wide areas, it’s unbelievable quality,” said Goodrham.

“It really shows how good the squad is, and the fact that you’ve got three or four unbelievable wingers in this league, shows how good you have to be.

“Anyone deserves to start, but if you don’t start, it’s how you come on and affect the game.”