CAMERON Brannagan is excited at the prospect of starting a new season as a key player for the first time.

The midfielder signed for Oxford United in January and although an injury delayed his debut, he still finished the campaign with twice as many league starts than in the rest of his career put together.

Brannagan, 22, has never played a senior competitive game in August, so the thought of beginning a campaign in the U’s XI is exactly why he joined from Liverpool.

He said: “It’s very important. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.

“When I first signed I said I wanted to come somewhere I could settle and enjoy my football.

“I’m looking forward to doing that and I just can’t wait.”

The day before the first game of the season for players is often compared to being a kid on Christmas Eve.

But Brannagan is more laid back and predicts the adrenalin will only kick in for him on the way to Barnsley tomorrow.

He said: “I wouldn’t say I’ll struggle to get to sleep the night before.

“Everybody will be looking forward to it and excited, but that really comes when we’re going for the pre-match meal.

“I’m quite calm the day before, I like to relax.

“I don’t think too much about it, so it’s the day of the game that I really focus and think about what I’m going to do.”

Brannagan is enthusiastic about how United might fare this season, though.

“I don’t want to jinx it, but we have a good set of boys,” he said.

“If we can get the ball down and play and start creating chances then I think we can really be dangerous this year.”