Blackpool manager Neil Critchley has stated that he currently has no plans to re-sign former striker Gary Madine following transfer speculation in the last week.
Madine has been without a club since being released from Blackpool in the summer and is still undergoing rehabilitation having suffered an ACL injury in February.
Although the striker is still with the club to complete the rehabilitation process, Critchley has confirmed that that is only to help his former player get fit.
Having not played in a competitive match since early February, there are certainly risks attached to Madine. That being said, the 33-year-old is a proven League One goalscorer and it wouldn’t overly come as a surprise if a side struggling for goals in either the third or fourth tier were to take a punt by signing him.
Blackpool however will not be one of those sides willing to take a punt on Madine, especially given that goalscoring has not been a problem this season. That is largely down to Jordan Rhodes great form, which has seen him score 11 goals as well as supply three assists in just 16 league games this season.
With the Tangerines currently sat just three points off of the play-off places, Critchley may use the January transfer window to strengthen other positions.
As for Madine, a return date is still yet to be given and it could still be a while before we see him back on the pitch. Speaking to the Blackpool Gazette regarding the rumours surrounding Madine, Critchley said:
“Gary is still here at the club, he’s doing his rehabilitation with us, so I see him on a regular basis.
“I have a good relationship with him, but I can assure you, at this moment of time his focus is on getting himself fit and we want to help him to do that. There’s been no discussions about deals or contracts.
“He’s been out since February, and you’re always looking around 12 months for that type of injury, so he’s got quite a period of time to go yet before he’s back out on the grass.”
“Gary is here doing his rehab and we want to help to get him fit- that’s it.”
Writer’s View
It doesn’t come as too much of a surprise that Critchley isn’t looking at re-signing Madine and given both his age and injury history it would be a risky signing.
However looking further down the League One table, there a quite a few clubs that look in need of a proven goalscorer and if not able to find that in January, may opt for a move for Madine once his rehabilitation is over.
Senior Editor
