New Athletic keeper Mark Crossley has made his feelings public for the first time and he is confident that the team is capable of bigger and better things. Crossley started his career at Nottingham Forest, a team where he spent 13 years, before moving to Middlesbrough in 2000. He has had loan spells at Stoke City and Sheffield Wednesday but made a permanent move to Fulham in 2003.Crossley told Latics World, "I've known John Sheridan for a long time, and he got in touch and asked if I'd like to come up here. This club did very well last season, and I'm hoping my experience will sit well alongside the other experienced pros such as Sean Gregan. Hopefully we can progress one step further this time around and I want to be a part of that. I had offers from one or two other clubs but I wanted to come here. I'm still ambitious and still want to play football as well as helping the younger goalkeepers along."
"I made a decision when I left Nottingham Forest years ago that I always wanted to play at the highest level I could, and went to a few clubs as their second-choice keeper. Looking back, maybe it was the right or maybe it was the wrong decision but I made it. Perhaps I would have played a lot more games otherwise. Still, I'm coming up on 500 now and I'm glad to be ending my career at a club that did well last season and is now fully capable of pushing on."
Crossley will also take on the role of goalkeeping coach at Boundary Park.