PAOLO Di Canio has confirmed that James Constable is a player he would love to have at Swindon and has not ruled out a possible bid for the Oxford striker.

The Advertiser revealed earlier this week that the Malmesbury-man was on the Robins’ radar, but the on-going effort to bring QPR striker Leon Clarke to the County Ground appeared to have signalled an end to their interest in Constable.

The 26-year-old’s future at Oxford is under a cloud, with non-league Luton Town recently having had a bid turned down and Hatters boss Gary Brabin remains keen to sign the player.

And, just days before the first meeting between Town and Oxford in over eight years, Di Canio admitted Constable is a player he admires.

The Town boss told the Advertiser: “Unfortunately he is contracted until 2014, but I know everything about him and also some other players.

“He is an important player for them (Oxford) obviously. In the last few years he has scored 17, 18, 19 goals and he is one that can score goals. He is a Swindon supporter and I hope he can remember that on Sunday!

“It would be good to bring him here but I don’t think Oxford would let him go, especially because we are such big rivals.

“He has pace, he is tall and is two footed. He can’t come [at the moment] although it would be good and we never know.”

Constable certainly possesses the attributes that Di Canio is looking for in a striker.

The former Cirencester and Chippenham forward is over six foot tall and has managed to hit double figures in each of the last three seasons.

But Di Canio conceded it may be difficult to convince Oxford to let one of their key players move to their fiercest rivals.

“It would be hard,” he added. “He is crucial for them, he didn’t play two games ago but he played the last game and they won 2-0 and he was an important part in that win.

“He is massive and he is a big Swindon fan and Oxford fans know this. So you never know in life and we will see.

“If one day if I could have £100million then you never know, it would be fantastic.

“Especially because he is good player but also because he is a Swindon fan and so he can feel the cause more than others.”