Quartet ready to pen deals

GET IN . . . Athletic captain Peter Clarke (centre), Connor Ripley (left) and Brian Wilson celebrate after victory over Bolton

ATHLETIC have been handed a major boost, with four players set to renew deals with the club.

Long-serving defender Brian Wilson (34) is set to put pen to paper on a contract today that will keep him at the club for a fourth season.

Fellow veteran Paul Green (34) is also set to stay on with Athletic for another season and a deal to keep Tope Obadeyi is thought to be close.

Young defender George Edmundson is another who will be part of John Sheridan's squad for the 2017-18 season. But reserve goalkeeper Chris Kettings has opted not to sign the fresh terms offered to him and will look for another club.

Wilson and Green in particular were pivotal figures in the successful drive away from the bottom-four under Sheridan last season, making 18 and 19 appearances respectively out of a possible 22 under the new boss to the end of the campaign.

Obadeyi (27) was in and out of the side but made some very positive contributions, including goals in the 2-1 win at Northampton and in the 1-1 home draw with Sheffield United.

Edmundson spent a chunk of the season on loan at Alfreton before returning to the club, with the 19-year-old playing three times under Sheridan and helping keep a clean sheet in the last-day 0-0 draw at AFC Wimbledon.

Kettings' career with Athletic saw him regularly appear as an unused substitute. The former Blackpool and Crystal Palace goalkeeper made one senior appearance in a 5-4 home defeat to Carlisle in the Checkatrade Trophy.

Meanwhile, Sheridan has assessed the competition in Sky Bet League One for next season and believes that results gained against top clubs this time around should bode well for Athletic's chances in 2017-18.

"There are some really good teams in there," he added.

"The two long journeys to Plymouth and Portsmouth take us to two really big clubs and we will take good crowds to Rotherham, Doncaster and Blackburn.

"They are all good games.

"The teams who have been in the play-offs, Scunthorpe, Bradford and Fleetwood, did really well this season and will be strong.

"It will be difficult, but I'm a firm believer that we will be a lot better and I want everyone to believe that."