OXFORD United boss Chris Wilder made a double swoop yesterday to land tall defender Ben Futcher and prolific scoring striker Steven Maclean.

It completed one of the busiest weeks of transfer activity the club have been involved in for many years, following Jack Midson’s loan move to Southend, and the arrival of midfielder Paul Wotton.

In addition, centre back Mark Creighton could be on the verge of leaving.

He is set for talks with a Blue Square Bet Premier club today and admits it’s likely that he’ll be leaving the U’s.

Along with 33-year-old Wotton, both Futcher, 29, and Maclean, 28, will add that experience and know-how that United’s young team have been lacking at times.

At 6ft 7in, Futcher, who has joined on loan from Bury until January, is one of the tallest defenders in England.

The Bradford-born centre half – who has also had a brief spell as a forward – comes from a famous footballing family, with his dad Paul and uncle, Ron, both playing for a host of clubs, including Manchester City, Oldham and Barnsley.

Ben played over 120 times for Lincoln from 2002-5 and was at Peterborough three years ago.

He has made more than 100 appearances for Bury, including their Johnstone’s Paint Trophy defeat by Tranmere on Tuesday night.

Wilder said: “He’s got experience and he’s a winner, whether with Bury this season or at Lincoln, where he was in and around the play-off-chasing teams so many seasons.

“Verbally he’s a great character. He’s a big noise in the changing room and he’ll affect players around him on the pitch.

“His attitude’s first class, whether he’s training or playing matches, and he’s been a real good player for Bury.

“I know they really didn’t want to let him go, but he wanted to play football. He didn’t want to sit on the bench.

“They’ve started the season well, but Ben forced the issue with them and wanted to play.”

“Both he and Wotton will influence people around them. They are both very good players.”

Futcher said: “I’ve not been playing as much as I like at Bury.

“I know Chris Wilder from six or seven months at Bury, I know what he’s like and how he works. That’s one of the reasons I’m here as well.”

Having people talk about his height is nothing new to him, he says.

“I’m used to it. In both boxes, that’s where I can earn my crust, as they say.

“Hopefully I can keep some clean sheets at one end and score one or two at the other.”

Maclean is a former Scotland Under 21 international who began his career at Glasgow Rangers before a successful loan spell at Scunthorpe, where he scored 23 goals in 42 games.

That earned a permanent move to Sheffield Wednesday, where he scored 20 goals in his first season, including a crucial penalty in the play-off final at Wembley that helped propel the Owls to promotion to the Championship.

In total, he scored 33 times in 84 appearances for the Owls.

The 5ft 10in forward moved to Plymouth for a club record £500,000 in January 2008 and had a loan spell with Aberdeen last season before returning to Argyle.

He has made nine appearances for Peter Reid’s team this season, scoring once in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy win at Cheltenham, but his career record of 0.31 goals per game in around 230 matches is up there with the best of them.

Wilder said: “He is an experienced striker with a proven goalscoring record.

“It is a great deal for the club to have him here for a month initially. His arrival gives us great strength in depth at the top end of the pitch.”

The three new signings are all set to make their United debut away to Rotherham tomorrow.

“They are decent players who will improve us, that’s the bottom line,” Wilder said.

“We have to keep improving.

“I have to make decisions with players going out and coming in. It’s not a personal thing, or favouritisim, we have to make sure we keep improving and at the moment we’re in the middle of a little slump and we need to arrest that."