Early signs good, but Latics can do more - Lee

ON YOUR TOES . . . Lee Croft is fully aware there is plenty of competition for places in the Athletic squad.

ATHLETIC’S mainstay on the right flank Lee Croft has marked the early-term report card as ‘could do better’.

The popular 30-year-old, who has missed only one of 58 matches across his last two spells with the club, is set to start again at Gigg Lane tomorrow as Athletic hunt a first away victory of the season against Bury.

The former Manchester City, Norwich and Derby man isn’t taking anything for granted, though. As one of the elder statesmen in a youthful squad, Croft knows he will have to remain at his hard-grafting best to help raise the team to better things.

“We have had a decent start,” said Croft, who joined Athletic for a third time this summer.

“We all feel, though we are unbeaten, that we could have won two of the games we have drawn.

“I would probably say that other than the Walsall game, where I was a bit quiet, I am enjoying playing my football here again.”

The atmosphere for tomorrow's derby promises to be highly charged and the anticipation has travelled through the squad, Croft says, with the absence of skipper Liam Kelly the main negative note on a week the manager has been determined to keep lively.

“All the lads are looking forward it it,” added Croft. “Hopefully we will have a big following there and we can’t wait. We hope to get that win away from home.”

“Hopefully, when we see them all there tomorrow it will spur us on and we want to put on a good performance for them.”



NEXT week, Lee Croft begins an exclusive new column in the Chronicle.