BUCKING THE TREND

Dembele deal shows U's progress says boss Des

- IAN WINROW

DES BUCKINGHAM says the capture of Siriki Dembele shows how far Oxford have come.

The U's are back in the Championship for the first time since 1999 - and boosted their squad with the club-record signing of the winger on Thursday.

Dembele, 27, had been a target for a number of second-tier clubs before making the switch from Birmingham to the Kassam Stadium in a £1m-plus deal.

And Buckingham believes the addition of the former Bournemouth man ahead of today's home clash with Preston is a clear sign of the club's progress.

The Oxford boss said: "To attract someone of Siriki's calibre to this club hopefully shows how far we've come.