Captain at 40

Last updated : 29 July 2003 By Tony Scholes

Eyresy had just completed en excellent season with the Latics and had been offered a new one year deal that was set to take him past his 40th birthday, in February of next year. Things changed dramatically though for the Boundary Park club and the club’s whole future looked bleak.

There has been some light shone into the tunnel though in the past few days with former Chairman Chris Moore handing over the club and wiping out the £4.5 million owed to him. It’s not the same club though and a number of players have gone including highly rated defenders Fitz Hall, brother of Stretch Chris Armstrong and Lee Duxbury.

For those players out of contract the contracts have not been signed and it did look for a time as though Eyresy’s career could be over. That’s not the case and manager Iain Dowie is not just keen to get him back in but insistent that he is re-signed and it looks as though he is set to name him as the new captain.

He has had an amazing career with Blackpool, Burnley, Preston and Oldham. Despite the fact that he didn’t make his league debut until he was 25, when Jimmy Mullen took him to Blackpool from Rhyl, he has now clocked up over 650 appearances for his four clubs.

I can’t think of anyone better for Oldham right now as they attempt to get the club moving forward again.