Local midfielder long eyed as one for the future joins Latics from Shakers and looks to justify his manager's faith in him
"It's likely that he will not figure in the first-team starting line-up at the beginning of the season." Hardly a ringing endorsement from your new chief executive, but to be fair to Alan Hardy he had just said that new signing Dale Stephens was "one for the future" and revealed that he "only had a few games under his belt".
More importantly for Stephens, boss John Sheridan had rated the diminutive Bolton-born midfielder and watched him in his dozen or so first-team games for the Shakers, plus his loan spell at local non-leaguers Droylsden, then struggling in the Conference. Whatever Sheridan saw was enough to offer the Shakers much-needed cash for his registration, but the Gigg Laners turned it down. With Stephens' contract having elapsed at the end of June, the transfer fee will be decided by a tribunal.
The midfielder made 12 appearances for Bury during the 2007/08 season, after being offered his first professional deal by Chris Casper, but had already been earmarked as one for the future by Sheridan. Stephens scored one goal for Bury during his time at the club, a screamer in a 2-2 draw against Bradford that was voted the club’s 2007/08 goal of the season.