DARREN Patterson says he's delighted that player-of-the-year Luke Foster is attracting interest from other clubs.

And although he wants to keep the 22-year-old centre back, who has had an outstanding season, Oxford United's manager says he would not stand in the way of any player who is ambitious to further his career if an offer came in for him that was too good to turn down.

Championship clubs Cardiff City and Coventry City are reported to be keen on Foster, according to a national newspaper.

And this comes after Stoke City, a Championship outfit on the verge of promotion to the Premier League, cast their eye over the former Sheffield Wednesday trainee on Tuesday night, when the U's beat Rushden in their last home game of the cam- paign.

Patterson said: "I'm delighted that clubs out there are showing an interest in him.

"He's worth a few bob because he's been outstanding this season, and he's learning and improving all the time.

"He's highly valued by me and is a big part of my plans for next season, but you have to be realistic and if someone put in a bid - a substantial bid - that was too attractive to turn down, of course we'd have to consider it."

Patterson says the club's management are honest with all their players, and if a serious offer comes in, they inform the player.

But there's no suggestion that either Coventry or Cardiff have yet made an offer, or even intend to.

The fact that Foster is getting noticed is no bad thing though, Patterson believes.

And he wants people at Oxford who have the ambition to move on.

"I want players with the desire to get us out of this league and with the desire to kick on," he said.

"We've got players who are just happy to be here, and that's not the kind I want."

Foster seems certain to continue alongside Barry Quinn in what is expected to be a largely unchanged side at Ebbsfleet United tomorrow in United's final Blue Square Premier game of the season.

The U's are tenth, and they will leapfrog over ninth-placed Ebbsfleet by beating them.

Although it's been a good end-of-season run, currently four straight wins, Patterson admits the final league table will still make sorry reading.

"Tenth position is not good enough, we need to be in the play-offs at least," he stressed.

"It's important we finish on a high, and in good spirits, and we want to take that on into next season."