We fear no-one -Philliskirk

danny philliskirk: the forward says Athletic are capable of competing with any team in Sky Bet League One.

DANNY Philliskirk believes Athletic can head confidently into the new season, which opens on August 8 at Walsall.

There will be some big names in the third tier again: Sheffield United, Wigan, Blackpool, Millwall, Barnsley, Coventry and Doncaster among them. But front-man Philliskirk fears no-one.

Athletic reached the play-off places midway through last season before drifting to an eventual 15th, but Philliskirk reckons his home-town team can challenge again.

He said: “I think League One is going to be a bit unpredictable again this season. We finished 15th but we showed we can compete with any team at that level on our day.

“As a group of players we know what we want to achieve, and that’s promotion. We came close at one stage last time, so if we stick together this season there’s no reason why we can’t put in a solid challenge.”

Athletic will be making a challenge under the guidance of a new manager, Darren Kelly. Philliskirk has been impressed with the Northern Irishman.

“I’ve spoken to the new boss and he seems like a good guy,” added Philliskirk. “He’s a top class coach I know that much. He might not have much experience of managing at our level, but he knows the game well and I like his attacking philosophy.

“We have got a good young squad of players and if we can get the balance right, who knows where we can end up?”

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