Factors behind Gunning exit

THE decision to hand James Wilson the captain’s armband at Bury gave a clue to the thinking behind Gavin Gunning’s early exit.

Talked up as a leader of men during pre-season, 24-year-old Gunning failed to hammer home his credentials for a starting place. Indeed the former Dundee United and Birmingham City player — out for virtually all of last season after knee surgery — was handed only a one-month deal with Athletic; an indication he hadn’t proved himself fully.

The decision to part company came down to a number of factors: continuing fitness concerns, the form of rival centre-back Jonathan Burn and the increasing quality shown by Wilson as an organiser of a mean back line that let in only two goals in the first games.

“Gavin came in and was great, but he wanted to play and I couldn’t guarantee that,” said Kelly, who set Gunning free after he failed to even make the substitutes’ bench after starting in the Capital One Cup defeat against Middlesbrough.

“Jonathan Burn has done extremely well, and in the last few months James Wilson has really stepped up to the plate.

“Gav had his issues with injuries and on the back of that, when was he going to get 100 per cent fit? That was the big question.”