Fleming faces fight for place
Reporter: Latics latest, by TONY BUGBY
Date published: 16 February 2009
Jan Budtz: Made his debut for Athletic at the weekend.
GREG FLEMING is by no means guaranteed an automatic recall for Athletic’s Coca-Cola League One fixture at Yeovil on Saturday.
After the loan signing of experienced Hartlepool keeper Jan Budtz, who made his debut in Saturday’s home win against Northampton Town, John Sheridan admits it will be a difficult decision - and one he is not looking forward to.
The Athletic manager said: “Jan came in and did very well and he will be fighting with Fleming for a place. He has played in the Championship so I have two capable keepers.”
The 29-year-old Denmark-born Budtz was signed on Friday afternoon as Sheridan’s week-long search for a keeper finally ended.
Hartlepool agreed to allow Budtz, who has played for Doncaster Rovers, Wolves and Hartlepool, to move to Boundary Park for a month to provide goalkeeping cover.
Indeed it was a dramatic signing as Budtz was en route with Hartlepool to Milton Keynes on Friday afternoon when the deal was struck.
The Hartlepool coach had to make an unscheduled stop at Woodall Services on the M1 where Athletic scout Graham Brown picked up Budtz.
It was a relief for Sheridan who said: “I had worked very hard all week to bring in a keeper and I had been doing a lot of begging!
“It was good of Hartlepool to let us borrow Jan.
“The lad wanted to come as it was an opportunity for him to play and get some football.”
Daniel Jones’s arrival at Boundary Park next Monday will provide Athletic with four loan signings.
Jones is back in full training after his initial loan spell with Athletic was cut short after he damaged ankle ligaments in the December draw at Peterborough.
He was recalled early by Wolves so he could do his rehabilitaion work back at Molineux.
The 22-year-old returns from Wolves for a second loan spell to join Seb Hines and Budtz, the two other new arrivals who both made their debuts on Saturday.
Fellow loanee Dean Windass scored his first goal for Athletic against Northampton which was his 200th career league strike.
