Lee backs Kelly to get his eye in

Reporter: MATTHEW CHAMBERS
Date published: 29 August 2014


LIAM Kelly will ultimately become a “great” player for Athletic, says his manager.

The skipper has played in all five of the club’s fixtures this season – despite featuring for only 29 minutes for Bristol City last season due to injury.

As he works his way back towards top form, Kelly slots into the category of signings his boss Lee Johnson says the club can afford to target – men on the lookout for a home to rebuild an ailing career, who can’t command the vast relative wages of players sought by bigger clubs.

“At the moment, we are a home for the unloved,” sayd Johnson. “You have to take someone like Liam, who needs a bit of time. He will come good, as he is a top player and I have 100-per-cent faith in him.

“This is us. It’s where we are and we may as well embrace it. People might as well know it, then we can have 4,000 scouts rather than just me!”

Johnson stated his aversion to panic measures and loan players: “With so much riding on their careers there are players who simply don’t want to risk coming to play at SportsDirect.com Park.

“Sometimes they feel safer in their nice environment. It is fear of failure, not only for the players but their advisors.

“They could have someone in their reserves worth £250,000 to a foreign club, but play four games for Oldham and struggle and all of a sudden they have no value.”

Last season, Athletic signed a total of 11 players on loan: Mark Oxley, Albert Rusnak, Joseph Mills, Mike Petrasso, Ellis Plummer, Gary Harkins, David Worrall, Joel Byrom, Adel Gafaiti, John Paul Kissock and Jon Stead.