Oxford United’s squad for their return to the Football League is shaping up to be young and athletic – and energetic.

A feature of the signings that Chris Wilder has so far made this summer is that they are generally aged closer to 20 rather than 30.

And with Billy Turley, Chris Hargreaves, Kevin Sandwith and Franny Green – a quartet with a combined age of 146 – among those that were released at the end of last season, the average age of the United squad looks like being considerably younger than it was in 2009-10.

At the moment, there is only one player aged over 30 . . . midfielder Dannie Bulman, who is 31.

It’s unusual not to have anyone in the 32-34 age bracket, though Wilder has not yet concluded his summer transfer business.

Yet having youth on their side doesn’t mean some of the new signings are lacking in experience.

Mickey Lewis, United’s assistant manager, said: “Simon’s played over 100 games so he’s got experience.

“But we do feel that although you need experience, the more energetic they are, the better.

“If you look at last season we were a very fit team in the Conference and now we’ve moved up a level. We need to make sure we’re fit.

“Looking at last season . . . just picking two out – Dannie Bulman and Simon Clist – you could see how mobile they were, how they got around the pitch, and you need players who do that, especially in the middle of the park.”

Heslop, who will be linking up again with Wilder, his former boss at Halifax Town, knows two others at Oxford.

“I used to play with Jake Wright when I was at Halifax, and Asa Hall was at Luton the last couple of months of last season when I was there,” said the York-based player, who will be moving down to Oxford.

“I came down here three weeks ago and have played here before. The facilities are great, it looks like a club that’s going in the right direction and I’m happy to be a part of it,” he said.

Centre back Wright is believed to want to join the U’s permanently, though nothing has been announced.

He was on loan from Brighton last season and Seagulls boss Gus Poyet told the Brighton Argus that Albion have not yet received an offer for the 24-year-old defender.

Poyet said: “We’ve heard nothing from Oxford about Jake, but I know he enjoyed it there and they went up as well.”

It’s expected that United will still try to bring in another striker before the new campaign begins on August 7, but that might be a loan signing.