SIMON Eastwood has high hopes for Kie Plumley after the 18-year-old signed his first professional deal earlier this week.

Plumley put pen to paper on Wednesday, agreeing an 18-month deal with the option of an extra year.

The teenager has found himself on the Oxford United bench, acting as Eastwood’s deputy since Jack Stevens was diagnosed with glandular fever in October.

Before then, he had been loaned to Pitching In Southern League Premier side Weston-super-Mare, playing a handful of games for the seventh-tier club.

Eastwood said it is essential the former Camberley Town stopper listens to those around him at United if he is to continue his progress.

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“He’s one of many young lads at this club coming through, he’s one who’s trained for about two years,” said Eastwood.

“I can see him coming on loads – if we can get a full-time keeper coach alongside someone like Browny [Wayne Brown], that will definitely help his development.

“He’s one for the future if he keeps working hard and training with us.

“I try and help these young kids, me and Browny have been there for years so he can learn a lot if he listens, and if these lads listen to the older people, you can see them come along.”

Plumley’s presence in the first team has been bolstered by the gradual return to fitness of Stevens, who played 45 minutes in a behind closed doors friendly against Brentford B earlier this week.

Stevens has been back in full training for almost three weeks, but is yet to make a matchday squad as the U’s manage his return carefully.

Eastwood is relishing the return of Stevens, to further increase the competition in the goalkeeping department.

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He said: “The competition is good for everyone, I want to be playing when I deserve to be playing.

“Since I’ve come back, I’ve done quite well to slot in but now Jack’s back, it’s good competition.

“Last season and the start of this season, it was guaranteed that Jack would play if he was fit but hopefully now it’s a lot closer.

“When you’ve been at a club for so long and had some disappointing moments, people remember those big games.

“You can make one bad choice, one wrong step, and you’re punished especially at the level we play at.

“But I’ve played over 200 games for the club and I’d like to think I’ve done okay overall, so it’s nice to get back in the team after a long lay-off.

“To last so long was good but getting dropped was disappointing, it’s how you bounce back after that.

“It was a massive shock for me not to play, sometimes you need a break.”

Eastwood said criticising his own game is key to his own improvement, particularly now the goalkeeper jersey is his to lose.

He said: “It’s hard as a keeper, you’ve got to be so level-headed.

“As a keeper, I’m always extra critical of myself when I can do better – that’s the nature of the position.

“I’d rather be like how I am than papering over the cracks and forgetting about stuff.”