KEMAR Roofe’s appetite for improvement has landed the Oxford United forward with an unusual punishment – he has been banned from doing extra work after training.

The 22-year-old has scored in the last three games, despite not being 100 per cent fit due to a tight groin.

Now Michael Appleton believes the root of the problem is too much time spent honing his skills on top of training.

It is not normally something coaches grumble about, but the U’s boss thinks on this occasion it is doing more harm than good.

He said: “Kemar’s hard to drag off the field sometimes and we’ve basically banned him from the gym and taking freekicks after training for a couple of weeks to let his groin settle down.

“He’ll just do what the rest of the players are doing.

“I think he was just over-doing it and spending a little bit too much time taking set-pieces to try and make sure he improves.

“On the back of it, we just felt he was doing too much power work in the gym.

“He is quite powerful anyway, but I don’t want him to reduce his speed and that turn of pace he’s got to get away from people.”

Roofe is expected to be fit enough to stay in the XI for tomorrow’s trip to Mansfield Town.

When his superb finish to last season is taken into account, the former West Bromwich Albion trainee has netted nine goals in the last 11 competitive games.

He is in the form of his life, but the forward made it clear he would not mind if he did not score again this season, as long as United were successful.

Roofe said: “The only goals that count are the three this season.

“I don’t forget the ones last season, but they don’t mean anything now so there’s no point in me thinking about it too much.

“For us to get promoted and have a successful season I can’t be thinking about myself, I’ve got to be thinking about three points for the team, that’s all that matters.

“I’ve always been like that. I wouldn’t say I’m a selfish person, I do get as much joy setting up somebody as I do scoring.

“This club is all about the team and you can feel it, that’s the most important thing.”