CHRIS TARDIF has signed a two-year deal with Oxford United. The Guernseyman, who was released by Portsmouth at the end of the season when his contract at the club expired, is rejoining his old Pompey boss Graham Rix and fellow Sarnian Dave Waterman at the Kassam Stadium.

And he will go to Oxford looking to establish himself as the first-choice keeper.

‘This is the best opportunity I have had,’ said Tardif.

‘I am going somewhere that I know the manager, I know that he likes me and so there is no pressure on me in that respect. There is just the pressure I put on myself to perform to the best of my ability.

‘Speaking to Graham, as long as I do what I can do during pre-season, I should be starting. It is up to me to prove myself and stay there.’

Even at just 24, Tardif will be the most experienced of the keepers on Oxford’s books, with the only other professional being 19-year-old Simon Cox.

And these are exciting times at the club with Rix looking to build a squad capable of challenging at the top of the Third Division table next season.

‘Automatic promotion is the aim for next season.

‘Graham is bringing in players. He is looking at a couple of experienced centre forwards who have scored goals at higher levels and also a couple of younger lads.’

One of those younger lads is the highly-thought of right back Dave Mackay from Dundee, who also signed for the club this week.

Tardif, who is looking to move closer to Oxford with his wife Laura, will join up with his new team-mates for pre-season training on 1 July.

Looking further ahead, though, and after his week-long trial with Cadiz, Tardif would like to move to Spain at some point in his career.

‘It was fantastic; I really enjoyed it and it was an excellent experience for me,’ he said.

‘They were interested; they said they liked what they saw but they could not say yes straight away. But it is good to know that they were impressed and my name should get around a bit now as well. In the future, Spain is somewhere I would like to go.’