OXFORD United have taken the chance to extend the contracts of James Henry and Elliott Moore by another year.
The U’s have triggered an option in both players’ deals that keeps them at the club for a further 12 months.
United have also offered fresh terms to Billy Bodin and Alex Gorrin, as well as a short-term contract to young striker Slavi Spasov.
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Henry’s option takes him into a sixth season with the U’s, enabling the midfielder to add to his 54 goals and 213 appearances.
Centre back Moore has been captain since December 2020, having played 124 games since arriving in 2019.
Head coach Karl Robinson said: “Both of them are really good players but also terrific pros and great people to have in the building.
“If you look back over the last three or four years you can see so many crucial goals that James has scored or helped create, while Elliott has been outstanding in defence for us.
“It was an easy decision to trigger the extensions and I am sure the fans will be just as pleased as we are to know they remain as Oxford players.”
Robinson added that United needed to act fast to activate the duo’s extensions.
He said: “There’s a fixed date (when) that option doesn’t become available. We’ll negotiate one or two tweaks in the summer.”
Robinson previously suggested Gorrin and Bodin would be offered new contracts ahead of tomorrow’s deadline for English Football League clubs to submit their retained lists.
The latter only signed a one-year deal when he joined last summer but enjoyed a productive end to the season, scoring seven goals and adding four assists in 14 matches.
Gorrin is still recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered back in November and Robinson knows how crucial the defensive midfielder could have been to United’s Sky Bet League One promotion push.
“If you’re ever going to leave a player to get back on track on his own it would be Alex Gorrin, because his attitude towards training and his personality is what we’ve lacked at certain moments this season,” he said.
“He can frustrate us, but when you don’t have him he’s pivotal to us winning more games than what we have done.”
The U’s boss added: “I said consistently throughout the course of the season how good Billy can be. That’s why I want him here next year.”
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Spasov has had a tough time with injuries in the last two campaigns, but the youngster is still only 20 and his deal takes him through pre-season.
Robinson said: “It’s a chance to prove himself and to see if he can cope with what this club stands for.
“He’s a tremendous young man who’s had horrific luck.
“We hope it works, but it’s short-term and we’ll see where it goes.”
United have already released Sam Winnall, Jamie Hanson, Michael Elechi and Leon Chambers-Parillon.
Sam Baldock’s new two-year deal was announced on Monday.
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