Latics launch ’keeper search

Reuben Hazell (left) agreed a fresh contract with Athletic.

ATHLETIC will be forced into a move in the emergency loan market this week following goalkeeper Greg Fleming’s sending off at Leicester on Saturday.

As the Scot is suspended for one match - Saturday’s Coca-Cola League One visit of Northampton Town - John Sheridan needs to bring in a stand-in shot stopper.

The Athletic manager is already without the injured Mark Crossley, who won’t be back until late March following back surgery, while he does not consider teenager Josh Bell ready for a first-team debut.

Sheridan is hoping the unexpected move for a keeper will not impinge on his plans to bring in another loan player this week. He had sought to complete the temporary move before the transfer window shut, but it failed to materialise because of a “hiccup” involving the other club.

Sheridan will not reveal the identity of the player until he is signed, but Athletic’s managing director Simon Corney has disclosed he is a talented youngster currently at a Premier League club.

Athletic’s goalless draw at the Walkers Stadium was achieved at a cost as Chris Taylor picked up his fifth booking of the campaign and he will miss the Northampton game through suspension.

Athletic were incensed by Taylor’s caution, which was for diving, when television replays clearly showed the winger was fouled and they ought to have been awarded a penalty by referee Clive Oliver.

Neal Eardley left yesterday to join up with the full Wales squad for Wednesday’s friendly against Poland in Portugal where he will be aiming to win his 10th cap at senior level.

Meanwhile, Simon Corney and Athletic coach Lee Duxbury are heading for Hungary today in search of new players.

The pair are visiting MTK Budapest, the Hungarian champions, with whom they have struck up an alliance.

MTK also have links with Liverpool and it is hoped Athletic might benefit by picking up players who are not wanted by the Anfield club.


New deal for Hazell

REUBEN HAZELL, Athletic’s defensive linchpin, has signed a new two-and-a-half year contract, taking the 29-year-old centre half through to June 2011.

Hazell, who only recently stated that he would like to stay with Athletic for the remainder of his career, arrived as a free agent in September 2007.

Freed by Chesterfield that summer, Hazell was initially handed a one-month contract but impressed to such a degree he was given a 20-month deal to June this year.

Hazell kicked off his career as a trainee at Aston Villa, but made his break into league football at Tranmere. He also played for Torquay, Kidderminster and Chesterfield and has now made 73 appearances for Athletic, scoring twice.




Shez playing mind games

ATHLETIC are to call upon a psychologist to boost their bid for promotion from Coca-Cola League One.

John Sheridan believes mind games could be as decisive as events on the pitch in the final third of the season.

The Athletic manager said: “I have a lot of young players and as characters most of them are quiet.

“I am continually telling them they are good players, but they have to believe in themselves. I have a psychologist who is coming in to help and hopefully they will perform better.

“You get players who believe in their ability and who are cocky when they go out on to the pitch. But I have six or seven players in the first team who are aged 20/21. They don’t want to hear me shouting and screaming and telling them things all the time.

“I also want my older players, the likes of Mark Crossley, Sean Gregan and Dean Windass, who have all been in the game a long time, to help them.”