Latics' captain Peter Clarke believes that new signing Dan Gardner will be a useful addition for next-season. Clarke played alongside Gardner when he was on loan at Bury two seasons ago.
He said, “Dan was on loan at Bury while I was there and he is a very talented footballer. He is really comfortable on the ball. He played in a slightly different position when we played against him at Chesterfield back in February to where I've seen him play before. He was a deeper-lying player then who Gary Caldwell probably wanted to get on the ball to dictate play. But he looked comfortable in that role too. Wherever the manager decides to play him, I am sure he will have an impact and be calm and composed on the ball, using it well and hopefully chipping in with a few goals and assists to give us some real verve and impetus in that final third."
!If you look at players like Dan and Ryan Flynn, they are the sort of players who can do a little bit of something different to open up defences and perhaps find that pass others don't see. With players like that, plus maybe one or two other additions, we can perhaps really raise that 'goals for' column. It's certainly a different scenario from 12 months ago and it leaves us in a better position. We have players who know each other's games, which can only be beneficial. Add to that a few more additions and we should have the makings of a good, competitive squad that can get off to a decent start and see where that takes us.”