Wycombe Wanderers midfielder Luke O’Nien says he is relishing getting a concerted run in the first team at Adams Park.

The 20-year-old has featured 11 times in league Two this season and has scored one goal since arriving at Wycombe in July.

Having begun his career at Watford O’Nien spent last season on loan with Wealdstone and is now revelling in life in the Football League.

“I’ve got to thank Gordon Bartlett (Wealdstone manager) and everyone at Wealdstone who helped me. It was a perfect season for me and I managed to get 40 odd games which put me in good stead for this season,” he said.

“I’m loving league football. Now it is just about working hard and working to keep my shirt and like the whole team I want to play well and get results.”

Manager Gareth Ainsworth has taken pride in giving young players a chance to shine during his tenure at the club. O’Nien is a perfect example of this approach having never played in League Two prior to his arrival at the club.

The likes of Max Kretzschmar, Danny Rowe and recent loan arrival Jason McCarthy have also benefited from receiving regular first team appearances at Adams Park.

With the process of adapting to life at senior level football being a constant test O’Nien also claimed that the current winless run Wycombe are on can be a good learning curve for him.

He is now flourishing alongside Marcus Bean as a key member of the Wycombe midfield and is grateful for the faith Ainsworth has shown in his previously untested abilities.

His relationship with Bean is one that he speaks of in glowing terms and believes has helped him to acclimatise to life in League Two quickly.

O’Nien feels that Bean, Who has made over 300 career appearances, is the ideal person to help him develop as a midfielder.

“Getting experience here has been great and I’m playing alongside people like Marcus Bean who is always helping me,” O’Nien said.

“He is a brilliant player. He always screens the ball, tackles and wins his headers and it is great playing next to him.

“He has helped me over the past couple of months and I appreciate what he has done for me. All the lads have helped me and I also have to thank the manager for having me here.”

O’Nien’s positive mood has been buoyed further by Wanderers’ late equaliser against Carlisle United which ended a run of four defeats in a row on Saturday.

The goal came from Paul Hayes who had been out with an Achilles injury for the preceding seven weeks and his presence on the pitch seemed to lift the Blues.

At 32 Hayes is well into the twilight of his career, but for O’Nien his return to action represents a big positive for Wycombe as they attempt to stop their slump of five winless games.

“It was nice to see Paul Hayes back on the team sheet and back among the goals today and even though we didn’t get all the points we wanted it is a good result,” the midfielder explained.

“He is a brilliant and experienced player and you know that any chances that Paul gets he is going to score.

“Carlisle scored from a set piece and if they don’t score that I think we could have gone on and won, but it was a good reaction form the lads and we hung in well and are in good spirits.”