Wabara lift for Latics

Reece Wabara

ATHLETIC have been given a boost ahead of tomorrow’s home battle with Shrewsbury with the news that Reece Wabara has extended his loan — while even the confirmation that Alex Cisak is moving to Portsmouth was greeted with enthusiasm by manager Paul Dickov.

Technically, Wabara has switched from a youth loan to an emergency loan in order to extend his stay beyond his 21st birthday in a month’s time, as per FA regulations.

The Manchester City player will remain at Boundary Park until at least January 5, subject to Football League and Premier League approval of the new arrangement.

Wabara has to date played 15 times for Athletic since joining in mid-September, originally as cover for the suspended Connor Brown. He has impressed with his pace, coolness under pressure and willingness to join in with attacks.

“Reece wanted to stay and he is enjoying it here,” said Dickov.

Cisak’s departure to Fratton Park on an emergency one-month loan, a move revealed in the Chronicle earlier this week, includes a 24-hour recall clause.

That means that if anything happens to Athletic’s current number one Dean Bouzanis, Dickov can quickly bring Cisak back into the fold.

The manager rubbished claims that the Poland-born ’keeper has a contractual issue at Boundary Park, related to a threshold of a certain number of appearances, which has stopped him from playing recently.

And he believes that as well as helping Athletic financially, the switch will be of benefit in the event of Cisak being called backed at short notice.

“People have got to use their common sense,” said Dickov.

“If there was something in Alex’s contract about a certain number of games, which there is not, then why would I have started the season with him?

“We brought Dean (Bouzanis) in because he deserved his chance and he has been excellent.

“I still think we have got the two best goalkeepers in the division.

“Alex, being at the stage he is, needs to play games.

“But it is good to know we have the call-back and that if we need him, he has been playing first-team football and would be ready to come straight back into the team.

“Liam (Jacob) will come in on the bench now and it is part of his progression.”