Latics are prepared for an influx of new players

STEPHEN ROBINSON . . . contract to be finalised

ATHLETIC are gearing up for the return to action, with almost a full team of fresh players ready to sign by early next week.

The squad will pull on the new home kit ­- see other story ­- for the first time when Huddersfield Town show for the first pre-season friendly tomorrow week.

And there could be anything up to a full starting XI's worth of players to come in ahead of that game, while a raft of loan deals have also been lined up with clubs from higher divisions.

By the time the Terriers arrive, the club's new boss Stephen Robinson and his assistant Ian Baraclough will be on board ­- contracts are currently being finalised with solicitors before official announcements are made ­- and along with Sean O'Driscoll, the duo will begin to instil the ideas they intend to take forward into the new Sky Bet League One campaign.

Highly thought-of for the job he did as assistant manager at Motherwell and for his work with Northern Ireland as first-team coach, Robinson is an enthusiastic character who is said to be relishing his first step into club management.

Baraclough, a former Scunthorpe defender and then manager of the Iron, Sligo Rovers and Motherwell, brings with him plenty of lower-league know-how.

The Fir Park outfit detailed in an interview their regret at losing Robinson, who takes over the role as boss in what is currently a 43-day gap since John Sheridan left for Notts County.

"Losing Stephen is obviously a blow because he is a good assistant manager, a very good coach and he's good about the club, but if Motherwell Football Club want to continue to be successful, then we just have to go and find the next Stephen Robinson," Motherwell's chief operating officer Alan Burrows told the Herald.

"That's what we need to do - appoint ambitious, talented and hard-working people knowing that with the law of the jungle of football that we exist in, in all likelihood if someone with deeper pockets than us wants to take them, then they take them.

"Stephen has been great for us though, and if he does leave, he goes with our best wishes for the future."

Meanwhile, striker Rhys Murphy has left Athletic to sign for Forest Green.

The 25-year-old had a year left on his contract, but has departed for a nominal fee and will now ply his trade in the Vanarama National League.

Murphy, a £20,000 signing from Dagenham, scored three goals for Athletic in 25 appearances across two seasons and netted nine times while on loan at Crawley in League Two last term.

Prior to the expected rush of signings, Murphy's exit leaves Athletic with only five contracted players with first-team experience: Connor Brown, George Edmundson, Brian Wilson, Carl Winchester and Jake Cassidy.