Gregan seeks loan move

SEAN GREGAN: desperate for first-team play

SEAN Gregan is ready to go out on loan to find first-team football.

Opportunities have been scarce for last season’s player of the year this season, with manager Paul Dickov preferring to use a combination of the trio Reuben Hazell, Jason Jarrett and Jean-Yves Mvoto at the heart of his defence.

Gregan — who played a remarkable 75 consecutive matches for the club leading up to the start of the 2010-11 campaign — has managed only a handful of minutes for the first team this season, coming on as a substitute late in Saturday’s game against Leyton Orient.

After doing extra work before the squad officially came back from their summer break, the 36-year-old was forced to sit out three weeks of pre-season with an ankle problem, but since then has only missed three or four days’ training with tendonitis.

Gregan has also done extra one-on-one fitness work with the club’s sports scientist Paul Butler and says he feels fully fit.

And 10 matches in to the campaign, the frustrated former Preston and West Brom is ready to bid a sad farewell to the club he has turned out for on 132 occasions since arriving, initially on loan, from Leeds United in November, 2006.

“I said last season that I want to play as long as I can at whatever level,” said Gregan, who has had his request to move out on loan accepted by Dickov.

“I have done all the fitness work that has been asked of me and feel as ready as I ever did when I played 75 matches in a row up to the end of last season.

“There have been injuries and suspensions, but I still haven’t had a start in the side.

very best

“I don’t think I have anything to prove at Oldham and I have always given my very best for the team.

“I don’t want to sound bitter and I think everyone will understand that I just want to play football.

“At a quarter-way through the season, it just doesn’t look like that will happen here.

“I am not content just sitting and picking up my money. I have still got a desire to play and believe I can still do a job.”

Gregan left Boundary Park before the start of last season, but came back six weeks after being released and enjoyed an excellent campaign under then-boss Dave Penney, towards the end of which he received a new one-year contract for 2010-11.

His last action for the club was in the behind-closed-doors friendly earlier this week against Grimsby, a match Athletic won 2-1.