Defender Rhys Day followed up his impressive midweek performance for Oxford United by saying: “Now I want a regular Starting XI shirt”.

The experienced former Mansfield and Aldershot centre half gave another authoritative display at the back, and also laid on Matt Green’s winning goal in the 1-0 FA Carlsberg Trophy win over Woking.

And afterwards he said: “It was good for us to get the result, and it was another clean sheet. I don’t think I’ve conceded a goal since I’ve been in the team!”

That is true, because Day’s only other start in recent months was in the 1-0 FA Trophy first-round win over Hayes & Yeading.

And in the two games he started early in the season, the U’s beat Chester 4-0, and then he had to be substituted because of injury with the score 0-0, in the 2-1 defeat of Stevenage.

Now the 27-year-old is urging boss Chris Wilder to give him a starting place at Grays.

“I’ve shown the gaffer what I can do, and hopefully have given him a headache for Saturday because I want to play,” Day said.

“I want to be playing, I want to be in the run-in between now and the end of the season and I want to help this club go up.”

Day, who began his career at Manchester City, and also had a loan spell at Blackpool, says he’s ready to play his part in Oxford’s push for promotion.

“I want to play more than anyone, so if the gaffer can take that into consideration – we’ve got Grays on Saturday, I want to play there and hopefully move on,” he added.