PAUL Jewell’s decision to quit Athletic may have come as a shock to some, but not manager Richie Wellens.

The 53-year-old resigned from his role as assistant manager on Wednesday after only five weeks in the post.

“I wasn’t completely surprised by it,” said Wellens.

“You’ve got to respect Paul Jewell’s decision, he’s had a fantastic career. But I want people around me who are as hungry and ambitious as I am.

“I’ve said thanks to Paul, who says I can still ring him anytime.

“I’ve got a lot of time for him. He’s been a top manager with so much experience that it would be stupid not to lean on him if I need to.”

Latics are unlikely to bring in a replacement at this stage.

Wellens added: “It will just go back to how it was before, for now. I’ll do all the coaching and training sessions.

“It’s not a big thing, I’m comfortable on the training ground as I showed when I first got the job. The players are comfortable with me and trust me.

“I’m a big believer that, in an ideal world, you should only bring in new staff in pre-season so you’ve got time to build your relationships and foundations.

“Getting someone new at this moment in time would be like starting from scratch again.

In a short statement, the club said: “Oldham Athletic can confirm that Paul Jewell has resigned from his role as assistant manager.

“The club and manager Richie Wellens would like to thank him for his contributions during his time at SportsDirect.com Park.”

Jewell only experienced victory twice in his eight games with Athletic – one of those at his former club Bradford City in the Checkatrade Trophy.