Karl Robinson thought he'd struck Oxford United gold with Sheffield United deal - He flopped at Kassam Stadium | OneFootball

The attacking midfielder played just 12 times whilst on loan at Oxford United

Karl Robinson's first summer transfer window in charge at Oxford United saw him target a former star of his MK Dons team who earned Championship promotion in 2015.

Samir Carruthers was singled out as the top target for his Oxford side ahead of the 2018/19 season, and Robinson was able to get his wish when he brought him in on a season-long loan from Sheffield United, the club that bought him from MK Dons.

Carruthers earned a second League One promotion during his first season at Bramall Lane, and the then-Oxford manager was sure he would help improve the side, which had play-off aspirations with Robinson in charge.

However, he was unable to recapture that form during his time at the Kassam Stadium, and his loan spell was understandably not extended. The Yellows would then go on to have immediate success without him.

Samir Carruthers' short and unmemorable time at Oxford United

Injuries truly were the downfall of Samir Carruthers at Oxford United, with the then-25-year-old being forced off 20 minutes into his debut against Barnsley.

That setback would see him miss nine league games, and as soon as he began to pick up consecutive bench appearances, a knee injury would see him back in the treatment room.

To make matters worse, this injury came in a friendly against Peterborough United, and it meant he had to have knee surgery, which would take him out of action for another three months.

By the time he was fit again, Carruthers just wasn't in Robinson's plans, and his sporadic appearances in February 2019 didn't do much to change that. He even found himself out of the squad throughout the entirety of March, and made just one appearance in the final 13 league games of the season.

Carruthers ended his time at the Kassam Stadium making just 12 appearances, with a solitary goal coming in his side's 5-2 defeat in the EFL Trophy quarter-final away at Bury FC.

Oxford United and Samir Carruthers have gone completely opposite ways since failed loan move

Despite finishing 12th that season, Oxford started to click towards the end of the campaign under Robinson, winning six and losing just one of their last ten league games.

Carruthers found himself playing in League Two for Cambridge United the following season, whilst Oxford made the League One play-off final in a losing effort to Wycombe Wanderers.

And, whilst the Yellows never made it over the line with Robinson in charge, they did finally secure that elusive Championship promotion in 2024, playing in the second tier for the first time since the late 90s.

As for Carruthers, his 10-game stint at Cambridge was once again marred by injury, and he was released at the end of the 2019/20 campaign. Since then, he has played in non-league for sides such as Hemel Hempstead Town, Dartford and Chelmsford City.

Once called "unbelievable" by Karl Robinson ahead of his loan move to the Kassam Stadium, this move was probably just a case of Robinson holding onto his past MK Dons glory a little too much at the start of his new job.