Richie Wellens (right) in action against Athletic, but unlikely to return to the club.

by TONY BUGBY

MIDFIELD man Paul Murray has admitted there is a chance of him rejoining Athletic for the 2008/09 campaign.

The 31-year-old next month becomes a free agent at Scottish Premier League Club Gretna, for whom he has made 34 first-team appearances this season.

And Murray added that he has already spoken to Athletic managing director Simon Corney about the possibility of a return to Boundary Park.

“I am considering two or three options, and one of them is rejoining Latics,” explained Murray, who made 95 appearances during his previous stint between 2001/04, scoring 15 goals.

Indeed, Murray last weekend reacquainted himself with Boundary Park as he played in the benefit game for ex-team mate Ernie Cooksey, who is battling cancer.

Athletic are looking for midfield reinforcements after losing Gary McDonald, who is joining Aberdeen, and possibly J P Kalala, who has been told he can leave on a free transfer.

Murray was a popular player in his first spell and would be somebody who can direct operations in the middle of the park.

And Murray would look a far more realistic bet than Richie Wellens, who has also been linked with a return to Boundary Park in a swap deal for Chris Taylor - something Athletic chief executive Alan Hardy has dismissed as pure speculation.

Wellens has made a clean sweep of the player-of-the-year awards at Doncaster Rovers where he could lead them to play-off glory and a place in the Coca-Cola Championship.

A source at Doncaster says he can see no way Wellens, who is contracted until June 2009, will be leaving the Yorkshire club.

Athletic are to begin pitch renovation work on Monday which will mean the ground is out of action for the next two months.

It entails removing the top quarter of an inch of organic build-up and applying a top dressing and over-seeding. There will also be maintenance work to the irrigation system.

Demolition of the Broadway stand starts next month and fans can still buy seats which are priced at £10. More than 150 have already been sold.     

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