Sheridan pins his colours to Latics’ mast

Glaring miss . . . Dominic Poleon lifts the ball over the bar from close range.

JOHN Sheridan has said that he will will stick with Athletic, despite the talk of Bolton being interested in securing him as their new manager.

Athletic's boss, speaking after a 3-0 defeat to Millwall in the penultimate game of the Sky Bet League One season, stressed that he has not heard of any approach from his former club regarding their managerial vacancy.

While stopping short of ruling himself out altogether, the 51-year-old — who has been acclaimed after rescuing Athletic from the mire, with the club five points adrift when he came in — reiterated he is not listening to the speculation.

“It is all rumours. People are talking about it more than me. I haven’t heard a thing off Bolton,” said Sheridan.

“I am the Oldham manager. If people are interested in me, so be it.

“I am at Oldham and I have a two-year contract. I have not heard anything from Bolton Wanderers — so I won’t be going to Bolton Wanderers.”

As it stands, Sheridan is behind Uwe Rosler and Phil Brown in the betting to take over at cash-strapped Bolton.

Athletic, meanwhile, have one game remaining in the season, at home to Coventry on Sunday (12.30pm kick-off).

Sheridan felt his men were not clinical enough in front of goal to affect the Millwall result and intimated that for some players, the recent exertions to secure safety may have taken their toll.

“I don’t like losing any game and we just didn’t get going,” he said. “The goals we conceded were basic.

“We were relieved at getting safe the week before and believe me, we came to Millwall to win.

“But I think one or two of them packed their bags a bit early and thought they were in Tenerife.

“The early goal gave them a lift and got their fans going and I didn’t expect that start from us.

“In the second half we got in the game, had some possession and some great chances to score goals.

“We should deal with their goals and that is something we have done well in my time here, keeping clean sheets.”

As for one surprising selection issue at The Den — the dropping from the squad of George Edmundson — Sheridan admitted the teenager was “excellent” in helping keep two consecutive clean sheets, but would not elaborate on his demotion, which left the visitors without centre-back cover among the substitutes.

“I just left him out of the squad," the manager said. “He travelled with us, but it was my decision to leave him off the bench.”