Joey Beauchamp sees a specialist tomorrow about his troublesome foot - and must then make up his mind about his future.

The 31-year-old midfielder is believed to have been one of the players United manager Ian Atkins interviewed a week ago about a perceived lack of desire and enthusiasm.

Others were midfielders Robert Quinn and martin Thomas, goalkeeper Richard Knight and striker Manny Omoyinmi.

Quinn and Knight have now left the club after having their contracts terminated. It is understood that both players, whose contracts still had a year to run, effectively accepted a redundancy package. There are claims on one of the fans' forums that Beauchamp has been offered £30,000 to leave Oxford United, but has turned this down because he is on "mega wages".

Atkins would not comment on these claims, but he confirmed: "Joey sees a specialist on Wednesday about his toe. He will have a scan and needs to know what it shows.

"Joey is on big money, that's a fact, and he only had two games last year, which was a problem for us.

"But he's a fantastic player. I'm one of those who used to get so excited watching him take on defences, and he does have very good quality. But he needs to be fit.

"This is an important week for Joey with seeing the specialist, and he needs to decide which way his career will go." The left-footed winger has been one of Oxford United's most loyal players and he made the club £1m when he reluctantly agreed to join West Ham in 1994.

Returning to his home town club, via Swindon, he then sensationally struck 19 goals from midfield in the 1997-8 season, when the U's were in Division 1.

He has often weighed in with spectacular goals, and in one of his two appearances last season, he scored arguably United's best goal of the year, against Exeter City at The Kassam Stadium.

Atkins is eager to have in his squad players who desperately want to achieve something next season. The U's boss enthused greatly about Sunday's Division 1 play-off final at the Millennium Stadium where Birmingham beat Norwich on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

"I was there and the atmosphere was quite fantastic." Atkins said. "I was singing and dancing with the crowd. The roof was closed and it was one of the best atmospheres I've ever experienced.

'When you're involved in football you just want to be in that situation yourself and I want players who are desperate to say 'I was there, I played in that'.

"I could just imagine what the place would be like with 30,000 to 35,000 Oxford fans at one end."

Omoyinmi's position is being reviewed following Jamie Brooks's illness.