Nottingham Forest “target” Gavin Whyte says he cannot afford to “sit back and think I’ve made it” amid speculation about his future.
The Oxford United winger has enjoyed an impressive first season in English football, following his move from Irish Premier League side Crusaders last summer.
It has reportedly resulted in him catching the eye of the Reds, with a £2m bid said to have been tabled for the 23-year-old.
Whyte believes the switch to these shores has seen him make great strides, though feels there is still much more to come.
He has been a regular for the U’s, making a total of 47 appearances as he settled straight into life in League One.
He started the campaign with a hot-streak of three goals in his first five games, and though there was a quieter spell midway through, he signed off with a flourish, claiming his first professional hat-trick against Shrewsbury Town in April.
He has been called up to the Northern Ireland squad for European qualifiers against Estonia and Belarus this month, and has been reflecting on the past year.
“To be honest, I probably started a lot of games sooner than I expected and then I had a spell of scoring four goals in seven games (including one for his country), which helped my confidence,” Whyte told the Irish News.
“The goals dried up a bit after that, which was hard, but I had another spell at the end of the season when I scored my first hat-trick for Oxford.
“Overall, I think I have really improved every aspect of my game, but I know there is a long way to go.
“I can’t for one second sit back and think I’ve made it, but I’d like to think I contributed to a decent season for the club.”
