OXFORD United’s newest signing has a Premier League upbringing, England youth caps and a Football League promotion, but Michael Appleton was only convinced after getting the right answers to some searching questions.

Despite being on United’s radar for some time and knowing other clubs were interested, the head coach was ready to walk away from signing John Lundstram if he did not come up to scratch face-to-face.

Appleton and his coaching staff have worked carefully this summer to create what they feel is the right environment for success.

They are well aware it can take one person to upset the balance, so it will not be risked, no matter how good the target.

Appleton stressed if he got the wrong feeling from Lundstram when the pair met last week, the move would have stopped there and then.

“Without a shadow of a doubt, because we had two or three other options,”

he said.

“I don’t want you to under-estimate what we’ve tried to in terms of how close we want the group.

“We have completely tried to change the way the players’ approach everything and tried to be ten times more professional than I’d like to think this club has been for years.”

He added: “I was to the point with John on a few issues and I did say to him it’s important to have the right character, it’s not just about ability.

“I asked him a few tough questions and he seemed to come up with the right answers.

“I said the type of players we’re trying to bring in have to be a certain mould.

“I think he was quite excited and wthin an hour of us meeting there was a conversation between his agent and the club to say he was really interested.”

Although Lundstram never played for boyhood club Everton, Appleton sees great potential in a player who was in World Cup squads for England at Under 17 and Under 20 level.

He said: “What excites me more than anything is he’s 21 and I like to think we’re bringing value all the time into the squad.

“If he does well the reality is because of his background and pedigree if we don’t take him to the Championship, someone else is going to.”

The U’s boss has hinted at the possibility of a “wow signing” before the August transfer window closes.

Lundstram was not the player in question, so another deal could yet be done if one of his short-listed targets becomes available.

Appleton said: “There’s two or three players out there who would be one of the final pieces of the jigsaw going forward, but I’m not 100 per cent convinced I can get them now.

“If we bring someone in after John, unless something happens and it’s an emergency, it will make a statement.”