At this time of the season, and particularly during our significant team rebuild, Banbury United supporters are used to seeing new faces running onto the pitch in our shirt, known only as A Triallist.

However, the number 19 forward brought on for the last 15 minutes of the Oxford City match on Friday night wasn’t any regular triallist – he was the first of our new U18 development team to be invited to join our men’s first team in a fixture at the Banbury Plant Hire Community Stadium. He is Tyra Aitken, and, at just 16 years and 10 days old, he has become Banbury United’s youngest ever first team player.

Carl Ashford, manager of the U18 team said: “Tyra has been with our Banbury United Youth team since under 14s. He plays as a forward, either through the middle, or wide in a front three. His main strengths are his power, pace and incredible work rate. He never gives his defenders a moment’s peace.”