Oxford United trio will surely have Ipswich Town motivation: View | OneFootball

Former Ipswich trio will want to prove their quality at newly-promoted Oxford

Newly promoted Oxford United have had an excellent start to the season and will be looking to see how far they can go with the help of three players signed directly from Premier League side Ipswich Town.

The Tractor Boys know a thing or two about making the transition from League One football to life in the Championship. They secured back-to-back promotions, which means they are now hosting the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal at Portman Road.

Kyle Edwards, Greg Leigh, and Idris El Mizouni were all signed from Town, and deemed not at the level of where Kieran McKenna's side were heading.

Since then, all three have made a name for themselves in the Yellow of Oxford and may now see their former club's success as extra motivation.

Kyle Edwards' injury setbacks

The United winger has suffered some pretty severe injuries in recent years, which have stifled his career massively.

He originally joined Oxford on loan last season and scored a fantastic goal against Fleetwood Town in just his second game for the club. However, two big injuries unfortunately ended his season short, and he was sent back to Ipswich for rehab.

United signed Edwards permanently in the summer, which is a big statement from the club considering his fitness issues and that he only played five times that season. The club clearly see a top player in Edwards, and have banked on him staying fit this season and showing what he is capable of.

Just before the recent international break, the 26-year-old came on against Luton on the right-hand side and immediately started causing trouble for his full-back. It was that performance that earned him a start the following game against Portsmouth.

With the former West Brom player starting to show more consistency both in terms of performance and fitness, many believe Edwards will play a crucial role in Oxford's season, as he'll be looking to show Ipswich fans what they could've had.

Greg Leigh getting consistent minutes

Leigh played one full season for Ipswich, making 15 appearances for the side as they won promotion to the Championship. The Jamaican had a stop-and-start season at Portman Road, featuring in seven of the first nine league games. After this start, Leigh was unable to force himself into the squad and only featured a further seven times that season.

His move to United was designed to get more minutes, which is exactly what happened. Leigh played 90 minutes in eight of the first 11 games for the Yellows, scoring an incredible five goals from left-back before an injury saw him miss the next nine games. And even though United signed experienced full-back Joe Bennett, when Leigh returned, it took him no time at all to regain that spot.

The left-back played a total of 31 games in the league that season as United won the League One play-off final to return to the second tier of English football, and made it two Championship promotions in two seasons. Except this time, he had played a pivotal role in doing so.

El Mizouni getting his Championship break

El Mizouni had only played four Championship games before signing for Oxford United, but you wouldn't necessarily assume so based on his performances in a yellow shirt this season.

Since Cameron Brannagan's knee injury in their 1-0 home win against Stoke, the Tunisian has slotted into the United midfield nicely and has played nearly every minute since.

El Mizouni is a player who likes to keep the ball. He doesn't possess the same attacking flair that other players in the side do, but he travels with the ball very well and breaks up play fantastically to create attacks.

This trio will be looking to continue the start that they, as well as the club as a whole, have made the current campaign.

Their part in Ipswich's fairytale rise up the divisions is now behind them but it will likely serve as extra motivation for them to create their own success with Oxford.

And with the start to the season Town are having, there's a chance that they may be bumping into three familiar faces next season at the Kassam Stadium.