Athletic the top team - for using players

NO TEAM in any of the four divisions has used more players than Athletic this season.

When Richie Wellens came on to the field as a substitute at Crewe, he became the 34th different player for the side in 2015-16. Given that non-playing substitutes this year include Jack Truelove, Jordan Bove, Theo Vassell, Alex Read, Danny Byrnes and Chris Renshaw, that number could be far higher.

Partly a symptom of manager David Dunn trying to change things round outside the transfer window with loan signings - they make up nine of the total - Athletic are on track to beat the 39 players who represented the club last season. Particularly so, given that Dunn will be trying to reshape the squad when the window opens again in the New Year.

The overall all-time record in the Football League for players used is believed to reside with Darlington, who fielded 54 during their relegation to the Conference five years ago.

This season Athletic’s tally is matched only by League Two outfits York and Stevenage.

Athletic’s 34 players: Joel Coleman; Brian Wilson; James Wilson; Jonathan Burn; Joseph Mills.

Lee Croft; Liam Kelly; Mike Jones; Carl Winchester; Jake Cassidy.

Rhys Turner; Jonathan Forte; David Dunn; Danny Philliskirk; Gavin Gunning.

Dominic Poleon; Connor Brown; George Green; Timothee Dieng; David Cornell.

Eoghan O’Connell; Mark Yeates; Simonas Stankevicius; George Edmundson; Rhys Murphy.

Jack Tuohy; Jay Fulton; Michael Higdon; Cameron Dummigan; Daniel Lafferty

Ricardo Fuller; Richard Eckersley; Giorgio Rasulo; Richie Wellens.