Yeates: Game as big for us as for Latics

MARK YEATES . . . professional attitude.

MARK Yeates believes Saturday’s relegation battle against his former team-mates remains every bit as vital for Blackpool as it does for Athletic.

The 31-year-old winger switched clubs a month ago and has since been part of a Seasiders outfit that has pulled clear of immediate league danger.

For Yeates the security of a permanent 18-month deal at Bloomfield Road was too good to turn down.

It meant saying his goodbyes at Athletic, despite enjoying a purple patch of form which brought the former Sheffield United, Colchester and Watford man November’s player of the month award.

Yeates revealed he woud have stayed with Oldham if a deal had been done. Instead he has played a big part in Blackpool’s recent revival.

“My short-term deal was coming to the end and David Dunn had said he wanted to keep me at the club,” Yeates said. “But there wasn’t much development after that and I was just waiting. A couple of clubs had shown interest and with the situation I was in, I was offered an 18-month deal at Blackpool and for me and my family, it was the right thing to move on.”

Danny Philliskirk also made the same switch, his for a fee of £75,000, and since then Blackpool have lost only once in five games.

“The side has been on a good run, but that’s not just down to us,” Yeates said. “We may have helped bring something else to the squad, but I am surprised they were down there in the first place.”

With two games against Athletic in the space of 11 days, Yeates retains some affection for his former club - while accepting his job now is to try to make ther plight worse.

“I am good pals with Carl Winchester, Connor Brown and Lee Croft and wish them all the best,” Yeates said. “Even in my short time there I could see it is a good club just finding it difficult.”