It has been no secret that Oakes – amongst team-mates Paul Bolland, Saul Deeney and even player-manager Ian Richardson – is drawing to the end of his contract with the club, with each being set to expire at the end of the current season. And although no talks are yet to have taken place, it seems that Oakes – signed by ex-boss Gary Mills in February last year – is set to prove he his indeed worthy of a new deal.
The 26-year old midfielder, who snatched the winner for the Magpies at Adams Park at the weekend, has been in and out of the side like a fiddler’s elbow of late, although, just recently, Oakes has managed to shake off the tag of the club’s ‘luxury’ player to hold down his central berth at the heart of the Magpies’ midfield.
His cultured left-foot, although having failed him more of late, has seen him become the club’s recognised ‘play-maker’. Although with this, quite obviously, comes criticisms of his commitment to the cause.
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Talking today to the Nottingham Evening Post, Oakes said "I am playing for my future. I could be out of a job in the summer and it is down to me to earn a new deal."
"I want to be playing for Notts County next season, so it is up to me to prove I am worth hanging onto."
"The manager said I should be closing down more, doing more work for the team, and I have been trying to do that," he added.
"There have been no talks over a new deal as yet. Hopefully there will be, and if I can keep doing my bit on the pitch it can only help."
Speaking of Saturday’s win, Oakes was optimistic – declaring that the three points taken from Adams Park, confirming Notts’ league status for the next season, at least.
"We should have been in the play-offs this season, at the very least. We have enough quality here for us to have expected that."
"This is a big club and it should not be at the wrong end of League Two," he added.
"We have never been really involved in the dogfight and, to be honest, we have too good a side to be down there."