Latics eyes on Gerrard

John Sheridan

JOHN Sheridan has stated he definitely wants Anthony Gerrard for next season — but fears the defender could opt to leave himself open to rival offers.

Initial talks have already taken place with the 30-year-old, along with others, as Athletic’s manager tries to bring together a squad capable of breaking into the top-six.

Sheridan was today due to be part of a board meeting where next year’s budget would be revealed.

Gerrard, who played in Athletic’s 2-0 home defeat against Coventry yesterday, is one of 19 contracted first-team players without deals for 2016-17 in place.

“Anthony has come in and done well and I have spoken to him,” Sheridan said. “He is who he is and he is confident in himself.

“He knows we want him to stay — but whether we will be able to keep him, I don’t know. He is looking possibly at other options.

“While he has been here, he has been brilliant. He may well leave it as late as he can.

“But we definitely want to keep him.”

“You need organisers in your team, full stop. He shouts and moans at people and you have to have them on the pitch.

“It can’t be just the manager saying it all the time.”

Sheridan revealed that he won’t wait too long for answers from any player.

“If I want to keep them I will offer them, if they don’t want to be here I will look elsewhere,” he said.

“If a manager says to me I want to keep you, it means they believe in me. If they want to try to get more money somewhere else, so be it.

FINAL-DAY LOSS

“I won’t dwell too much. It is a yes or a no for me and I get on with it.”

The final-day loss against Coventry was Athletic’s second in a row following the 3-0 defeat at Millwall.

In a sense, the job was already done in terms of avoiding relegation — a fate that has been endured by Blackpool, who lost 5-1 at Peterborough yesterday, and Doncaster, who drew 0-0 at home with a Burton side who secured promotion to the Sky Bet Championship.

“The last two games have not been what I wanted, but I won’t go on about those matches. I will speak about what we have done before that,” Sheridan said.

“We have done remarkably well to stay in the division so I applaud the players for that.

“The fans have been with us all the way and it has been a joint effort.

“We have done what we had to do. Anyone who knows me knows I don’t like losing — and I don’t like the way we play sometimes even though we are safe.

“That’s why next season I want to put my own stamp on it. I want us to play and pass the ball a lot better than we have of late.”