OXFORD United have had trouble finding missing star Mark Watson but we've tracked him down.

The 29-year-old from Vancouver is in Alliston, Ontario, with Canada's national team preparing for their World Cup qualifier against Trinidad & Tobago at the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton next Sunday, July 16.

And Watson seems less confident than United that he will return to the Manor Ground for next season.

He says he has been offered a three-year deal to return to second division Oxford, but there are "a few major points" to be resolved.

Denis Smith thought he had reached agreement with Watson's agent for the player to return to Oxford for next season, but the man from Vancouver says he has hardly spoken to that particular agent.

Winning the CONCACAF Gold Cup at the start of this year meant a great deal to Watson, who has been capped 58 times, and although United want him to call a halt to his international career by concentrating on the Nationwide League, his comments suggest he won't give that up likely.

"We know that if we apply ourselves properly and stick together as a team, we have what it takes to get to the World Cup finals," Watson said.

He is likely to see plenty of Trinidad & Tobago's Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke in the home-and-away encounters. But United certainly hope he won't be playing in the away leg, because that falls during the season.

And they will be wondering whether he will come back, with this current Canada squad due to fly out to Panama City for a second World Cup qualifier against Panama on Monday, July 24.

"The Canadian teams have always felt a little bit inferior to some other countries," said Watson.

"Not feeling up to par to those countries, more often than not we'd go on the field thinking we've got to keep this game close or really play the game of our lives to win. This team is starting to get some confidence and that's a very important thing in soccer. If you don't have it, it's so hard to get it."

Watson said he may jet off to England in the next few days to secure work for the next club season. But a big question mark hangs over whether that will be Oxford.