Lewes star joins Oxford United

Lewes striker Jonte Smith has left the Dripping Pan to join Oxford United.
Jonte Smith. Picture by Angela BrinkhurstJonte Smith. Picture by Angela Brinkhurst
Jonte Smith. Picture by Angela Brinkhurst

Smith, who first joined the club in 2016 and scored 56 goals in 121 appearances for the Rooks, had his contract with the club terminated for an undisclosed fee, allowing him to join the League One side.

Manager Darren Freeman "When I first signed Jonte, the ultimate plan was to get him back playing League football.

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"Jonte has put himself in the shop window with his performances over the past couple of years and he deserves his chance.

Jonte Smith. Picture by Angela BrinkhurstJonte Smith. Picture by Angela Brinkhurst
Jonte Smith. Picture by Angela Brinkhurst

"Jonte's been a fantastic role model for the club. It goes without saying that myself, Ross and Codge - and I'm sure all the players and fans - hope to see him doing really well for Oxford. With a lot of hard work the sky's the limt for him."

SEE ALSO Former Man City cult hero praises Lewes and ex-Crawely Town striker | Highly-rated young Brighton striker signs for Eastbourne Borough | The second half at Fulham must rank as Brighton's worst ever 45 minutes - Scott McCarthyJonte first joined the Rooks on loan in 2016, but after scoring ten goals in 15 games he earned himself a move to Welling that summer. Jonte returned to the Pan later in 2016, first on loan before eventually making the move permanent.

He was an instrumental in Lewes' promotion to the Bostik Premier League and his 12 goals this season has helped push the Rooks into promotion contention once more.