Gerrard moves closer to Latics comeback

ANTHONY GERRARD . . . the defender is four weeks away from gaining full fitness

ATHLETIC will have first refusal on signing free agent Anthony Gerrard, with an hour-long run-out for the reserves yesterday helping boost the defender's fitness levels.

Manager Stephen Robinson, used a behind-closed-doors game at Wigan to give some fringe players a useful run-out. Athletic lost 4-1, with Charles Dunne getting the goal.

Gerrard, welcomed to train with the squad at the start of last week, was invited inside Athletic's dressing room at Bolton and it's estimated he is four weeks away from full fitness.

He may be needed before that, though, provided a deal can be agreed with the 30-year-old. Skipper Peter Clarke is treading a suspension tightrope - one more booking means he serve a one-match ban - and with players out on loan, there is not much cover in the centre-back positions in the event of an injury to either Clarke or Cameron Burgess.

"Anthony is a good three or four weeks away," said Robinson, who is now focusing on preparing for the visit of Bristol Rovers on Saturday after the excellent 2-0 win over Scunthorpe.

"He knows how to play the game and doesn't have to be 100-per-cent fit to play. He is an old-school character, similar to Peter Clarke and Paul Green, and I'm not sure you can have enough of those sorts of players around the place.

"We are well aware that if we get a knock or a suspension, we are light in that (centre-back) area.

'BETTER'

"We have George Edmundson and Jamie Stott out on loan gaining experience and they will come back better for it, but not quite ready for the first team.

"Brian Wilson gives us cover there as well, but we need to add to that department.

"We would love 11 Peter Clarkes but we don't have the budget for that. The young boys are learning from these players and Anthony comes into that category.

"But he has to get fit and he knows that himself.

"He has bought into what we want and is very enthusiastic about it.

"He has to get himself right whether it's for us or someone else. But we will have first dabs on it.

"We will see where it goes."

Gerrard, who has been without a club since playing a leading role in Athletic's successful fight against relegation last season, has been doing extra training in order to get up to speed quickly.

"We know what a fit and mentally right Anthony Gerrard would give to the squad," Robinson added.

"He is someone I want around and I brought him to the (Bolton) game to have a look at how we work and to see if we can get him up to speed before we do anything.

"At the moment he is using us to get fit and we are trying to get him fit to see if we take that next step.

"We are well aware what he would bring."