Michael Appleton says Jonny Giles deserves the opportunity to try and make it as a professional footballer.

The 21-year-old signed for Oxford United this week after impressing while on trial.

Giles graduated from Durham University with a physics degree, and the fact he has turned down a highly-paid job in London to try to make it as a footballer gives Appleton great hope.

“I am a massive believer that sometimes in life people deserve opportunities,” the U’s head coach said.

“Jonny came in, trained, played in two tough matches against Aston Villa and Southampton and did not look out of place.

“Of course there are things to work on, but he has lots of ability.

“He is a kid who could probably earn six, seven or eight times as much money in the world he is obviously very clued up in – physics.

“He is very, very clever and I think he has the promise of a job in London if he wanted it, but he’s living the dream and is putting financial reward to the back in place of being a professional footballer.

“The first thing he did after getting the contract was to thank me for giving him the opportunity, which speaks volumes for him.”

Appleton, however, is not expecting much conversation about Giles’s degree, and neither is striker Danny Hylton.

“My physics is not great,” Appleton said. “But I’m sure Jonny will give me a few masterclasses on it.”

And Hylton added: “No way. We’ll just talk the language of football, I can’t get involved in physics!”