What former Portsmouth youngster and Swindon loanee Adam May has been told to do despite signing new Cambridge deal

Following his impressive displays last season, the midfielder penned a new three-year contract with the club which keeps him at the Abbey Stadium until 2025.

Despite the 24-year-old committing his future to the League One side, head coach Mark Bonner has tasked him to outgrow his colleagues and move up the EFL pyramid.

After being released from his hometown club in 2020, following 28 appearances across six years, the ex-Swindon loanee joined the U’s.

Since then, he’s made 96 appearances and played influential roles in promotion from League Two and their 14th-placed finish last term.

But his boss believes the best is yet to come.

Bonner told Cambridgeshire Live: ‘He’s a good player, we’ve done really well for him and he’s done really well for us.

‘He’s developing his game really well. He’s needed somewhere to call home and get some stability into his career, and we’ve proved that for the majority of players.

‘I think it’s a really sensible decision from him to stay and play, and to keep developing himself and building himself up, knowing that there is plenty of potential left in him.

‘He’s nowhere near his best. His aim and ambition has got to be that he moves beyond us. Try to take us as far as he can, and hopefully goes and has a brilliant career as well.

‘That ambition in players to develop and improve with us I think is important, and you have to be realistic about what we are and the level we’re at.

‘We have to keep trying to improve him, and see how much we can get out of him, and then his personal aim has got to be to see if he can develop his career further.

‘I don’t think there were any surprises really for us.’

Ahead of the transfer window opening on June 10, Bolton confirmed the signing of Cambridge United defender Jack Iredale.

And Bonner believes the 26-year-old’s move to Ian Evatt’s side shows the blueprint for May to follow.

He added: ‘The boys that we offered contracts to, we sort of expected those to stay, and then we knew the Jack Iredale situation for months really.

‘He’s got himself a really good move at Bolton, so I think it’s another sign in his case of how well coming to us can do for you.’