Oxford City head coach Ross Jenkins on Hoops latest signings

Former Chelsea and Arsenal youth player Renny Smith was added to the Hoops squad on September 26, while Mitchell Roberts and Rafferty Pedder were handed instant debuts in Saturday’s 3-0 win at home to AFC Fylde.

Versatile defender Roberts was released by Birmingham City in the summer, and enjoyed loan spells with Oldham Athletic and Solihull Moors last season, with midfielder Pedder arriving on loan from Queens Park Rangers.

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City head coach Jenkins said: “He’s [Roberts] got a good pedigree from Birmingham and he’s had a few good loans at Oldham and Solihull, so he knows the league and he knows the level.

“He’s still young, he’s still learning and developing. He’s someone that we highlighted a while ago and we saw a glimpse of it against Fylde – how athletic he is, managing to get into the final third, overlapping and underlapping.

Mitchell Roberts was released by Birmingham City in the summer (Image: Mike Allen)

“Pedders is coming in from QPR, at a very good level. He’s in and around the first team training and they rate him.

“He can play in a number of positions across the midfield area.

“He’s got a very clever brain and again, we saw glimpses of it against Fylde.

“They’ve come in and hit the ground running, and added something to the squad and team.

“They’ve got some good experience in the various levels they’re coming from.”

Rafferty Pedder has arrived on loan from Queens Park Rangers (Image: Mike Allen)Smith meanwhile has previously played in Italy and the Netherlands, and was most recently at Austrian top flight side WSG Tirol.

“It’s something we wanted in pre-season but I respect the level he was going to try at,” said Jenkins.

“For whatever reason, he’s fallen back to us and hit the ground running.

“He’s super fit and keeps himself in good shape. He’s got good experience and come through good academies.

“Moving abroad will have done him the world of good as well, learning a different style and footballing mentality.

“He was in Austria, which is a very good level the Bundesliga out there.

“Coming into a new group, it takes time to adapt to personnel and that normally takes two or three weeks minimum, but I thought against Fylde he was brilliant with Fleety [Reece Fleet].

“It was a really dominant performance, and he covered the ground and put his foot in.”

The Hoops make the eight and a half hour round trip to Scarborough Athletic in the Emirates FA Cup fourth qualifying round tomorrow, with a place in the first round proper at stake.