Mark Sykes and Paul Smyth in search of Wembley glory

Former Glenavon player Mark Sykes will walk out at Wembley tonight aiming to help Oxford United to Sky Bet League One play-off final glory.
Oxford United's Mark Sykes (left) and Portsmouth's Sean Raggett in action during the Sky Bet League One play-off semi-final. Pic by PAOxford United's Mark Sykes (left) and Portsmouth's Sean Raggett in action during the Sky Bet League One play-off semi-final. Pic by PA
Oxford United's Mark Sykes (left) and Portsmouth's Sean Raggett in action during the Sky Bet League One play-off semi-final. Pic by PA

Sykes featured in the semi-final success over Portsmouth to set up the high-profile play-off showdown with Wycombe Wanderers so will be hoping to retain his spot in the starting side.

“I’m immensely proud of all my players and they know what they mean to me,” said Oxford boss Karl Robinson. “They know that I’ll always be there for them now, for the rest of their careers, I’ll always be at the end of a phone.

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“It’s a relationship I have with all my players. There’s players at the top level who still phone me and ask things.

“And it’s purely because when players wear a shirt for a football club or play for me, and they show me the respect by the way they conduct themselves with each other, I’ll always be there for them throughout the course of their careers.

“This is a group of people I want to keep together for a long time.

“In my whole managerial career I’ve never spent money. I’ve never spent any more than about £200,000 on a player in 10 years.

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“We’ve always sold players. I’ve never had a budget where I can build a team; I keep a team.

“And the only way we can keep this team, I hope, is by finding ourselves at the next level, where a lot of my players keep telling me every single week that’s where they deserve to be.”

Another former Irish League ace, Paul Smyth, could feature in the Wycombe panel.

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