Follow your leader

Dean Furman: agreed new deal

STICK with your captain!

That is the message from Athletic boss Paul Dickov, after he took up the option to re-sign midfield maestro Dean Furman for another 12 months.

Discussions will take place between chairman Simon Corney and the manager over which out-of-contract players will be offered new deals.

Despite being faced with a likely heavily-reduced budget, Dickov is hopeful midfielder James Wesolowski and striker Robbie Simpson can be persuaded to remain at Boundary Park.

“Dean is a big part of what we want to do here,” said Dickov, whose side face Preston tomorrow (3pm kick-off) — still not entirely safe from relegation.

“The more players like Dean we can retain for next year, the better.”

The manager will meet chairman Simon Corney next week to decide not only which players can go or stay, but also about the club in general. The club’s budget faces another hefty squeeze this summer, which could mean players being asked to sign terms on reduced wages.

The picture is the same across npower League One, with more than 1,000 out-of-work professionals soon to be looking for work.


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