GAVIN Whyte is embracing his busy schedule after struggling for game-time before his Oxford United return.

The winger joins up with the Northern Ireland squad after tomorrow’s Sky Bet League One fixture against Lincoln City.

It could see him play three matches between September 2 and 8, against Estonia, Switzerland and Lithuania, having already featured five times for the U’s this season.

Whyte has had plenty of minutes in the early weeks of the campaign, but he does not mind one bit.

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After starting just five times for parent club Cardiff City between November 2019 and the end of last season, the 25-year-old is just happy to be on the pitch.

He said: “In the last year and a half I haven’t played as much as I’d like to.

“You get that with football, but that’s why I came here.

“I loved it the first time and I want to go into a season and play 40 games.

“I want to go away in the summer and think I deserve to go on holiday because I’ve played that many games.”

The last time Whyte reached 40 matches in a season was 2018/19, his first spell at United.

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The forward played 54 games in all competitions for club and country, scoring ten goals.

United have started this season better than that one and Whyte likes what he sees so far.

“We had a good squad the last time I was here as well,” he said.

“It’s just the bond we have and the way the manager is with the players.

“A few of the boys have said it’s the strongest squad they’ve been involved in and you can see the quality that we have.”