Oldham Athletic beat Football League competition for the signature of Manchester-born defender Shaun Hobson.

The 24-year-old former Bournemouth stopper has signed a two-year deal at Boundary Park having become available on a free transfer at the end of his Southend United contract.

Hobson had been a long-term target for Latics boss David Unsworth. But he revealed he had started to look at other options, believing that Hobson was heading for the EFL.

But after persistence from head of recruitment Steve Thompson and co-operation from club chief executive Darren Royle, Unsworth believes they have pulled off a masterstroke to secure the defender.

"For me he's a real coup," said the Latics boss.

"We've probably tracked him since new year - a Manchester boy who has done really well at Southend over the last couple of years. We knew he was out of contract and he was one of the first players we targeted. He's been on our radar for four or five months.

"He's an all action centre back, great size, great pace, good on the ball, scores goals, great age to improve.

"I felt we'd lost him, he was going to a league club and thankfully we've been able - over the last day or so - to get in quickly, offer him a package that was really competitive and get in ahead of a league club.

"I'm thrilled."

Unsworth added: "Steve Thompson has worked particularly hard and done brilliantly for this signing.

"We were revisiting different targets because we thought we'd missed out on Shaun, so to get a phone call at the 11th hour is a real coup for us.

"This time yesterday (Monday) this wasn't even on the cards, so to turn it around really quickly - and thanks to Darren getting the deal over the line - we've got him in today."

And Hobson, who spent two years with Burnley's youth team before moving to Bournemouth and then on to Southend via loan spells at teams including Eastleigh and Weymouth, is excited to be back in the north west and part of what he feels is a club on the up.

"I'm very happy to be here and part of the whole feeling that's around the club right now, and delighted to get it done," he said.

"And it's good to be back home.

"Speaking to the gaffer, his ambition is to get the club back where it should be and I don't see why we shouldn't have that ambition as players."