JOHN Sheridan plans to make better use of the loan market to supplement his squad next season.

Latics' head coach says the club have not capitalised enough on loan signings in recent seasons, although this was in part due to the restrictions imposed on them by the transfer embargo last season.

The club was not only limited to free agents and loan signings, but also had a wage limit imposed on all transfers that were completed from the summer onwards.

That left Latics fishing in a small pond. However, then-head coach Keith Curle was able to land Jamie Bowden on a season long loan from Spurs on the eve of the 2021/22 season - with the young midfielder going on to make 25 appearances in all competitions, scoring once, before being recalled in January when Latics were in between managers.

Curle also signed Faysal Bettache from Championship side Queens Park Rangers in August.

Latics were without a full-time manager when the January transfer window opened but midfield prospect Alex Hunt came in on loan from Sheffield Wednesday, fresh from signing a contract extension at Hillsborough, at a time when Selim Benachour was interim head coach.

Bettache made only five League Two starts in 14 appearances, the last of them in November, while Hunt made 13 appearances, including seven starts.

Oldham fared better in the loan market the previous season, with Arsenal's Harry Clarke, Leeds United's Alfie McCalmont and Doncaster Rovers goalkeeper Ian Lawlor signing season-long loans and the trio all had a positive impact on the first team.

Lawlor's season was cut short by injury in March 2021 on his 39th appearance, leading to Latics signing Laurie Walker on a rolling emergency loan from MK Dons, with the stopper returning last August following injury to Danny Rogers and contract dispute which meant Jayson Leutwiler could not be registered for the start of the campaign.

But, with relegation to the National League expected to mean the lifting of transfer restrictions, the loan market is an area that Sheridan is looking to explore more of.

“I think the loan market’s going to be big," he said.

"I don’t think the club has used the loan market well enough.

"I think you’ve got to use the loan market, and when I’ve been at Oldham in previous years players who have come in on loan have always done well. So that will be big for us."