MICHAEL Duberry has played at the top level, and feels that Oxford United’s management team could more than hold their own higher up the footballing pyramid.

And the defender, who celebrates his 36th birthday today, had some helpful advice for those players in League Two who have serious ambitions about playing at a much higher level.

When I asked about the differences in training between the Premier League and League Two, Duberry replied: “The quality.

“If the manager here was training Chelsea, he would give an instruction once or at the most twice.

“But at this level it maybe needs him to say it six or seven times, and that’s why there is the difference in standards.

“At the top level they learn quicker, and if the players at this level want to move on up a level and play in the Championship or Premiership, they have to take things on board straight away.

“As times you find that is the frustration of managers at this level, because they are having to say everything seven, eight, nine times.

“As far as the sessions that the management set-up here go – they are excellent. And the staff here could easily go and take a session with a top team and they would be appreciated, so there’s no difference in that.

“But there’s no shame in saying that the quality here is not the same as at Premiership level – it’s up to players to strive to improve.”

Duberry says that Wilder has installed a real confidence in the Untied squad – but one that is never allowed to get out of control.

“There’s a quiet confidence in this squad and that comes from the manager,” Duberry added.

“There’s no arrogance here, but we believe in ourselves.

“Within that dressing room there is a confidence, but that’s all that you will hear from us.

“We never go bragging about this and that – we do not want to ever give the opposition extra motavation and let them stick things up in their dressing room to gee them up.

“Their motavation must come within.

“Of course, I want to get promoted, and of course, I would like to win the league, but we take it game by game and don’t ever go saying that we are going to do this and that.

“We will go to Macclesfield on Saturday with no arrogance, no cockiness, but just a quiet confidence.”