Price happy to stay until end of season

PRICE IS RIGHT . . . Athletic’s loan signing has impressed manager Dave Penney.

LATICS LIFE: JASON Price is set to stay with Athletic until the end of the season.

The Millwall striker has played five games so far in his one-month loan spell, scoring once in the 4-2 defeat at Swindon.

The 32-year-old Welshman is well known to Penney from their time working together at Doncaster and, having struck up a promising partnership with Pawel Abbott, the Athletic boss has reached a verbal agreement with his Millwall counterpart to keep the player on when his loan spell expires after the Norwich match on Saturday.

"I asked Kenny (Jackett) and he is happy with it as long as Pricey is happy with it, which he is," said Penney.

"So we will extend it as long as we can. We are pleased with Pricey."

Penney also explained the careful balancing act resulting from having so many players at the club on loan deals.

Alex Marrow, Jim Goodwin and Darryl Flahavan are all on temporary deals running to the end of the season and, with Price added to the mix, there is room for only one more loan man in each matchday squad.

"There is room," said Penney. "It is a case of making sure we get the right player in the right position as we only have one loan left.

"So we have to be careful not to use it in the wrong areas.

"It is one of those where we assess it after each game. If we want to bring someone in on loan, say it is a centre-forward, then I presume they will want to play and that is part of the deal.

"At the moment our front two are doing ever so well, so you have to pick and choose where you strengthen the team."