Wes Burns has dismissed the notion that he is playing a more advanced role this season for Town than he did last term, his first campaign for the club.
"I wouldn’t say that is the case,” he said. "I’d say the role and the job aspect is fairly similar but teams are a little bit more clued up on what we’re trying to do down that side. Last year it was a hybrid system really, where I was classed as a right wing-back, but not really back that much.
"It’s the same kind of thing this year — teams are just a little bit more clued up on it and they are setting up to stop where a lot of our goals came from last season, or should I say where a lot of our chances came from. Me, JD [Janoi Donacien], Chappers [Conor Chaplin], Sone [Aluko], Marcus [Harness], whoever plays on that side, we mix it up as much as possible to try to catch teams off guard.
"If they over compensate our side, it’s why I feel the other side of the pitch is where we’re thriving so much this year because we’re able to attack more effectively down the left. I think the boys are reaping the rewards from that down Leif [Davis]’s side. So, I wouldn’t say it’s more advanced than last year, no.”
Burns was last season’s leading marksman with 12 League One goals and another in the FA Cup, while in the current campaign he has so far netted six times — five in the league and another in the FA Cup, with Town’s fourth home clash with Championship pacesetters Burnley just a little over a week away.
With three goals in less than a month recently, the in-form Welshman was able to double his tally, but he doesn’t see his mini purple patch as a major confidence booster.
He explained: "Confidence-wise, I don’t think it does too much to be honest. I think I’m quite a confident person and always confident when I step out on to the playing field that I am going to produce what I know I am capable of.
"I remember speaking to the boss and saying I wanted to make sure I was in double figures for the season, same as last year, and he said I didn’t have to be worrying about that, just to make sure I bring to the team what I always bring to the team, which is enthusiasm, energy and hard work. The goals and assists will follow on from that.
"It’s always nice to get goals — it gives you that extra buzz — but I don’t personally grade myself on how many I score. On Saturday I wasn’t great but I scored, but I don’t think I must have been great because I got a goal. I can take away the goals and stuff, and weigh up my performances differently.”
If selected at Oxford on Saturday, Burns will be facing a side who were on the wrong end of a convincing 3-0 scoreline at Portman Road on Boxing Day and will be keen to take their early opportunity to avenge that defeat.
As fans will no doubt recall, Burns netted from a clever corner routine, the ball being played into his path for him to run on to it and crash an unstoppable angular drive past rookie keeper Ed McGinty, the 23-year-old Scot who was making his debut for the U’s that day.
Burns confirmed that such set-piece routines are a big part of Town’s preparations for all fixtures, explaining: "We spend a lot of time on them. We are doing a lot of work on our attacking and defending set plays. I think we have gone from being one of the worst teams in the league in terms of our attacking set plays to now being the best.
"It just goes to show that the guys are buying into everything that the coaching staff are putting forward.
"I mean, we’ve got set plays for days now and we can only use so many a week because obviously there would be a real mish-mash of stuff going on if we had, say, 20 set plays.
"But we have maybe a couple of new ones a week and they are coming off more often than not, so long may that continue. The work on the training ground on set plays is a massive part of what we do.
"The staff are coming to us with different ideas and videos of teams who have tried things in different leagues. They’ll say ‘What do you think of this?’ and we can all have our say on whether we want to give it a go or whether we might even think we could improve on what we’ve seen on the video.
"It’s actually quite a fun experience for us all as we all have different roles within the routines they propose. It’s always a learning day in training and I think we’ve all learned a lot about both defending and attacking set plays this season.
"The one we worked against Oxford came off but there are plenty more where that came from. We have a lot of alternative set plays and routines that we can give a go.”
Asked if his goal against Oxford on Boxing Day was the best of his career so far, Burns replied: "It’s definitely up there but so is the one I scored at home against Blackpool, which was from outside the box and I think that’s the only time that has happened. I’d say it’s between those two as to which is the best.”
Burns will be coming up against one of his former sides, since he had a loan spell from first club Bristol City at Oxford in the 2014/15 season, scoring once from nine League Two appearances — six starts and a further three off the bench.
"It was a very short loan spell,” he confirmed "It’s a good club full of very good people. The staff there are brilliant but there are only a couple that I would see on a match day who are still there from my loan spell there.
"It’s a good club filled with very good people and it’s a club I always keep an eye on and hope they do well, mainly because my dad used to work in that area and a lot of the people he knows are big Oxford fans.”
Burns also took the opportunity to congratulate colleague Conor Chaplin after he won the Sky Bet League One Player of the Month award for December, a period in which he scored five goals to take his season’s tally to 13.
"What does Conor bring to the table? Just what he always brings to the table, to be fair. Enthusiasm, energy, hard work and this season a lot of goals, which is always helpful.
"He’s another one who is very down to earth, a very hard-working guy, and he is reaping the rewards of all his hard work. I can’t big him up enough — he’s a great mate off the field and on it so I’m buzzing for him.”
He also had words of praise for midfielder Cameron Humphreys after the 19-year-old was rewarded for his progress so far with a new three and a half year contract that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2026, with the club also having the option of a further year should they wish to do so.
Burns said: "It’s very well deserved and I’m buzzing for him. Nobody deserves it more than he does to be fair. He’s worked his socks off since he’s been with us towards the end of last season and pre-season this year.
"He got his first start at Port Vale and he’s grabbed the opportunity with both hands. The new contract is the right reward for him.”