Fans dig deep for Latvian

EDIJS Joksts is set to become the latest man to commit to Athletic for the coming season — and it is thanks to the fans that the Latvian centre-back is on board at Boundary Park.

The 6ft 5in defender, an under-21 international for his country, will sign a deal which will see the PlayerShare scheme help pay his wages for 12 months.

It is a similar arrangement to that which has in the past helped fund the acquisitions of Luke Beckett, Cedric Evina and Shefki Kuqi.

Manager Lee Johnson sees raw potential in Joksts, who played in the 2-2 draw against Dinamo Bucharest last week before linking up with the rest of the squad for last week’s Army camp.

And Trust Oldham chairman Owen said that using the PlayerShare scheme to fund a deal for the former FC Jurmala player was a suitable use of the resource.

“The manager always has the opportunity to come to the Trust for help with the signing of players,” said Owen.

“As a payment for a player who has a bright future, we were only too happy to be able to help.”

Joksts is set to be included in the Athletic squad which travels to Curzon Ashton tonight (7pm kick-off).

Adam Rooney is also set to feature.