Oxford United boss Ian Atkins wants the club's promising young players to show greater self-motivation.

And he has challenged them to work harder to try to earn a first-team place.

Atkins believes some have picked up bad habits and found life too comfortable, and he is urging them to push themselves to show they are worthy of a place in the team.

"I want to see a desire within themselves to break into the first team, and I haven't seen that so far," Atkins admitted.

"From now on, though, things will be different. We have set up a programme for the younger ones and they have got to show a willingness to come back and work themselves rather than to always look to go home early.

"It's one of the things that will change. It's not going to be such an easy ride from now on.

"They should be looking at coming back in the afternoons and working to improve themselves or working in the gym with the excellent equipment we've got now to improve their fitness."

United's director of football conceded, however, that the lack of staff - reserve and youth team coach Mike Ford is doubling up as his assistant - means the youth team players are perhaps not receiving the same concentrated attention they would otherwise get.

Of the club's young players - teenage professionals Jamie Brooks, Chris Hackett and Simon King, and scholars Phil Wilson and Kelvin McIntosh - only Brooks has played regularly this season, although Hackett has been sidelined by injury.

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