DES Buckingham has paid tribute to Joey Beauchamp on the two-year anniversary of the Oxford United legend’s death.

Beauchamp died aged 50, on February 19, 2022, with a coroner at a later inquest recording that the former winger took his own life.

Widely regarded as one of United’s greatest ever players, he is currently 10th in the U’s appearances table and fifth in the club’s all-time goalscoring chart.

Oxford-born Beauchamp signed for United as a youth player in 1987, and having starred as a youngster and attracted the interest of many top clubs, Beauchamp was bought by West Ham United for £1,000,000 in 1994.

He spent just 58 days with the Hammers though, and after a short spell at Swindon Town, he returned to the Manor Ground to help the U’s win promotion in 1996.

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United head coach Buckingham said: “I don’t think anyone would disagree, he’s one of the best players, if not the best player, to have played in an Oxford United shirt.

“I was fortunate to watch him several times when I went up the Manor, as were others.

“It’s devastating what happened with him, but the club has done a few things to make sure we remember him for the right reasons and what he did here because he had a huge impact on what this club did at the time.”