New Latics winger will be a hit with fans – boss

GLAD TO HAVE YOU ON BOARD: James Dayton (left) is welcomed to Boundary Park by Athletic boss Lee Johnson.

JAMES Dayton was tipped for an England call-up last month — and the exciting winger has arrived at Boundary Park with the promise he will lift supporters off their seats.

The quick-footed Kilmarnock man (24) has been snapped up for two years by Athletic, whose manager Lee Johnson was a team mate of Dayton’s at the start of last season.

The 24 year old’s reputation is such that Kilmarnock bosses had offered him a three-year contract to remain at Rugby Park. Last month Killie manager Kenny Shiels said England manager Roy Hodgson should take a look at the winger.

“Other players who have been recommended for Scotland and England are not in the same league as James,” Shiels said. “If I look at who is playing for England, I don’t see why James can’t.”

Dayton elected to make the move to link up with Johnson — despite stiff competition from Athletic’s rivals.

“I’m delighted to have got him,” said Johnson, a television pundit at Wembley yesterday when he watched his father, Gary, lead Yeovil into the Championship.

There were a lot of clubs in for James, including three or four bigger than us. He’s very quick and though he isn’t the most physical player, he is brave in taking the ball in difficult areas.

I played with him at Kilmarnock and liked what I saw then, even when he wasn’t in the side — which I couldn’t understand. And he has become a proven performer in the SPL.”

Dayton, from Enfield, was brought up in the youth system at Crystal Palace until he was 20. He had loan

spells at Yeovil and Crawley before signing for Kilmarnock in August 2010.

“We are hopefully bringing in another player by the end of the week, another really good player too,” Johnson added. “We are 90 per cent along the way with it.”