Oxford United defender Sam Long has agreed on a new two-year deal with the club.
The 25-year-old, who came through the ranks with the U’s, would have seen his current contract expire at the end of the month.
The Bicester-born full-back is the longest-serving player at the club, having joined as an eight-year-old. The new deal will see him stay at the club just short of two decades.
Speaking to the Oxford Mail, Long was relieved to get the deal done. He said: “Massively, there’s such a big pool of players out of contract this year and I’ve been in negotiations with Oxford for a while now.
“I’m just really glad to get it over the line and have a bit of security for myself. Hopefully, we can kick on now and get promoted.”
The full-back made his debut in April 2013. During that time, he has made 81 appearances under five different managers.
His best spell as an Oxford player has come in the last two seasons under the current manager, Karl Robinson, having put numerous injury issues behind him.
During his time at Oxford, Long has spent time away on loan. In 2014, he joined Kidderminster Harriers in a deal that saw Chey Dunkley join the U’s. Upon his return two months later, he scored his first of three Oxford goals in a defeat against Southend United. He also spent time at Hampton and Richmond Borough in 2018.
He was at the club when they secured promotion to League One under Michael Appleton in 2015/16 but rarely featured as a result of injuries.
