WILL Vaulks has praised Oxford United teammate Jordan Thorniley for the resilience he has shown following a lengthy spell out of the team.
After an impressive loan spell from Blackpool during the 2021/22 season, Thorniley joined United on a permanent basis in June 2023.
However, the form and consistency of Ciaron Brown limited Thorniley to just 17 appearances in all competitions as the U’s won promotion from Sky Bet League One last season.
Following a solitary appearance in the Carabao Cup, it seemed as though Thorniley was heading for the United exit door, but hugely impressive performances from the bench at Preston North End and Plymouth Argyle have reinforced the defender’s value to the U’s squad.
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Vaulks said: “I thought Jord was brilliant again. It’s testament to him because he’s been out of the picture.
“It’s hard as players, and so much harder than people understand when it’s like that. It’s your life, it’s your livelihood, it’s what you want to do.
“You want to play football and that’s all you’ve ever wanted to do, and when that is taken away, it’s really hard to keep mentally strong and stay at it.
“That’s what Jordan has done, and it’s testament to him to come on and be able to do that. I thought he was brilliant in his composure, and strong as well.
“The manager has been really strong on that, on the players that have got to come on. That’s what breathes togetherness.”