Joy stays on board

PHIL JOY . . . worked hard at his game.Joy stays on board

SCOTT Naylor's pledge to take promoted Oldham up to the Championship with most of his team intact continues to take shape.

Phil Joy is the latest of his 'originals' to sign a new contract for the higher division, following the lead set by Lewis Palfrey, Danny Langtree and Josh Crowley.

Of that long-serving quartet, Crowley and Palfrey were among Naylor's early signings, while Joy and Langtree were already at the club when the new boss arrived.

All four have earned Naylor's seal of approval by playing in nearly every game in the past three years.

Commenting on prop-forward Joy's decision to remain loyal to his home-town club, Naylor said: "He's gone from a reserve team player at a League One club to a Championship prop inside three years. That's a long way in a short time.

"He's worked on his game, worked hard in training and gone about things on and off the field like any good pro who wants to progress up the ladder. He deserves all the credit he gets.”

In a fantastic 2015 campaign, Oldham won 19 out of 22 games, losing in three of their first four against teams that had just dropped from the Championship.

Said Joy: "Once we had adapted, it brought out the best in us and I think that will happen again in the Championship next year.

"Like all the lads, I'm looking forward to testing myself at the higher level. We have a lot of hard work ahead of us, but if we keep most of the squad together, which Scott plans to do, I think we'll do okay."