TYLER Goodrham is hoping his baby daughter will be born slightly ahead of the due date to avoid a potential double booking.
Goodrham and his partner are expecting their first child when Oxford United host Millwall on November 30, but the international break provides a possible window for the birth when the U’s aren’t in action.
Everything is in place ready for the birth, and an excited Goodrham is very much on countdown.
He said: “The baby’s not far away, it’s two and a half weeks. It’s an exciting time and we’ve got a nice little break, so we’re kind of hoping she comes during that break, and I don’t get to miss too many games.
“We’ve got everything sorted, and to be fair, my missus has just cracked on and sorted everything out.
“It allows me to clear my head and go to football, and do what I need to do.”
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At the end of August, Goodrham netted a wonder strike to put United 2-1 in front at home to Preston North End, and celebrated the goal by tucking the ball under his shirt and sucking his thumb, in reference to his pregnant partner and their baby.
He said: “It’s something as soon as we found out, it’s something that I wanted to do.
“To be able to do it, but it also being my first Championship goal meant that much more, so it’ll be something we’ll get to show her when she’s older.”
For the goal, Goodrham collected the ball wide on the right and chopped inside Kaine Kesler-Hayden, before bending in a wonderful strike from 25 yards with his supposedly weaker left foot, as the ball veered just inside the far post.
Goodrham said at the time: “When I cut in, I thought ‘yeah go on, just hit it’, and I saw it shaping in, and when it went in, I was buzzing.
“To be able to score the goal that got us in front, and to keep the momentum going, was really good.
“My missus said I’ve got 13 more weeks to bring that out, so I’m obviously delighted to be able to do it, and I’ll show it to my little girl when she’s older.”
The 21-year-old has featured in each of the first 17 games of the season in all competitions for the U’s, starting all but one of them, with the exception being the Carabao Cup second round exit at Coventry City.
Goodrham has netted three goals for United this season. In addition to the strike against North End, he scored the opener in the Carabao Cup first round win at home to Peterborough United, and when the U’s drew 2-2 at Luton Town last month.