DEAN Windass seems certain to play his last game for Oxford United in tonight's relegation 'six-pointer' at Queens Park Rangers.

United look likely to accept a bid of around £1m from promotion-chasing Bradford City.

Bradford boss Paul Jewell confirmed yesterday that a £1m bid from the Valley Parade club for Windass had been turned down by Oxford.

But with the 29-year-old striker desperate to leave - knowing that this could be the last big move in his career - pressure is building on United to sell him, even though manager Malcolm Shotton has consistently said he wants to hang on to his star player.

I understand Windass has been told the club will not stand in his way, and while United would probably have preferred to have hung on to him at least until the March 25 transfer deadline day, it now seems he will move tomorrow or Friday.

Shotton said, however, that Windass would definitely be in United's starting line-up at Loftus Road.

"Deano's desperate to get away, his family want to move back up north, and when a player has a mind like that, you can only hold on to him for so long," said Shotton.

"He said to Maurice Evans yesterday that he was playing for me and not for the club, because I brought him to Oxford. Although it's nice that he's still doing it for me, if he's not going to play for the club, it's no good to us."

Shotton wants a replacement quickly, but with Aberdeen owed the £450,000 fee from his move last summer, United's manager doesn't know how much money he will be left with.

"The situation with the club's finances haven't helped," Shotton said.

"We have got irons in the fire for a replacement but I honestly don't know how much I'll be able to spend."

Story date: Wednesday 03 March

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.