SIMON Eastwood was determined not to leave Oxford United with his derby mistake fresh in the memory.

The goalkeeper signed a new three-year contract with the U’s yesterday, with his previous deal set to run out this summer.

Simon Eastwood: I've signed the contract to get back in the team

Eastwood has been back-up to Jack Stevens since his late error allowed Tyler Smith to secure Swindon Town’s first win over United for 19 years last November.

But with 215 U’s appearances across five seasons under his belt, the 31-year-old did not want that to be one of his final actions in a yellow shirt.

Eastwood said: “What happened with the Swindon game was a massive disappointment for myself and that’s almost how I’ve been remembered.

“I didn’t want to go out on that note.

“This is the sport that we’re in – the one slightest mistake at a really crucial time seems like the biggest thing ever.

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“It doesn’t make me a bad goalkeeper, you’ve just got to reassess and work harder than you’ve ever done.”

Eastwood joined United in June 2016 and was an ever-present in his first four seasons at the club.

But an inconsistent patch opened the door for academy product Stevens, who signed his first professional contract one month before the ex-Blackburn Rovers man arrived at the club.

The 23-year-old has flourished since coming into the first team and penned a new three-and-a-half-year deal in February.

It has restricted Eastwood to just four Papa John’s Trophy appearances since December, but the stopper continues to have a strong bond with his teammate and goalkeeping coach Wayne Brown.

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He said: “I like to think I took Jack under my wing a little bit.

“It’s about passing on your experience to these younger lads.

“When I joined Oxford, Jack was a kid and I used to help him with extra work when no-one else was working.

“I’ve seen it many times in football where characters aren’t supportive of each other.

“In goalkeeping you want the competition for places, but if you’ve got someone who’s not right in that way it can really cause a rift.

“I’m not that person, I want the team to do well and I’d like to think that’s why I’ve been rewarded with the contract.”