OXFORD United head coach Michael Appleton is confident new signing Tyrone Barnett will be worth the wait as the striker prepares to make his debut at Exeter City tomorrow.

The 28-year-old agreed to a 93-day loan on Wednesday, ending a lengthy pursuit by the U’s.

Appleton said: “We’ve been tracking him for a number of weeks and as you can probably imagine there have been various other clubs trying to do the same business.

“But once we were able to speak to the player it was clear, from his and my point of view, it was the right thing to do.”

While the U’s have had a physical option up front this season in the form of Carlton Morris, the on-loan Norwich City teenager is a raw talent.

Barnett, who scored 19 goals for Crawley Town the last time he played in Sky Bet League Two, brings far more experience.

And the U’s boss believes it will make all the difference to a side still looking for their first league win of the season.

“I think it does,” he said.

“You look at the other sides in the division and they’ve all got a player in the side they look to when things aren’t quite happening.

“Just thinking about the teams we’ve come across so far, you’ve got (Stuart) Beavon and (Lucas) Akins at Burton, Jamie Cureton was a big one at Dagenham and (Kevin) Ellison at Morecambe.

“They just seem to pop up when they need them and hopefully that will be the case with Tyrone.”

Oxford Mail:

  • Tyrone Barnett is set to make his U's debut tomorrow

Barnett arrives feeling he has something to prove after failing to establish himself at Peterborough following a £1.2m move in 2012.

He said: “Sometimes things don’t go the way you planned.

“Up until then everything was like a honeymoon, everything was going well and getting better and better.

“My time spent there has been a massive learning curve and I will bounce back stronger.

“For that I’m a better player.

“I’m very hungry.”

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