Gregan eager to make big kick-off

SEAN GREGAN . . . working hard to regain full fitness.

SEAN Gregan is pushing hard to keep his superb run of appearances going.

The 36-year-old centre-back, last season’s stand-out performer in a gloomy campaign for Athletic, has missed a large chunk of pre-season training due to a troublesome ankle injury.

He resumed light training last week after having an injection to settle the problem and is now knuckling down to hard graft in order to give himself an outside chance of making Athletic’s first game in npower League One — the away fixture at Tranmere on Saturday, August 7.

“The ankle is feeling alright, touch wood, and now I just have to try to build it up,” said Gregan, who is about to enter his fifth season at Boundary Park.

“It is wear and tear over the years. Hopefully the injection will work and I can start to catch up with the other lads, as I have missed quite a lot of pre-season training.

“I need to get a bit of training done first and then look at some reserve games I would think.

“Hopefully I can get my ankle right and then work on the other side of my fitness.”

Gregan, who was linked with a coaching role at Boundary Park following the departure of Dave Penney, also said that any thoughts of retirement are firmly on the back burner at present.

“I am proud of the record I have of playing in the last 75 games, consecutively,” he added.

“It is going to be touch and go whether I will be able to make it 76. But I will play on as long as I can, at whatever level I can.”

Athletic take on Bolton Wanderers at Boundary Park tonight (7.30pm kick-off), and striker Warren Feeney has been handed a boost on the eve of the game following his call-up to the Northern Ireland squad.

Feeney, signed from Cardiff City, will miss Athletic’s Carling Cup tie at Scunthorpe United on Tuesday, August 10, due to the international friendly in Montenegro the following day. The 29-year-old currently has a record of 34 caps and five goals for his country.

Tonight’s opponents Bolton drew 1-1 with Rochdale at Spotland on Saturday.

New signing Robbie Blake opened the scoring for the visitors in the first half, only for ex-Athletic striker Chris O’Grady to fire home an equaliser six minutes from the end.

It was the Premier League side’s first run-out since returning from their tour of North America.

Left-back Marcos Alonso, who completed his switch from Real Madrid to the Reebok Stadium on a three-year-deal, won’t be in action tonight. The 19-year-old is suffering from an ankle injury.

Trialist centre-back Rod McDonald is the newest face on Athletic’s treatment table and also misses tonight’s game with an ankle problem.

Manager Paul Dickov has named himself in a 19-man squad.

Athletic (from): Brill, Lee, Hazell, Jarrett, Black, Jones, Stephens, Furman, Alessandra, Abbott, Eaves, Fleming, Holdsworth, Kompany, Brooke, Feeney, Bembo-Leta, Matthew D Carr, Dickov.