Thompson is fourth generation to represent Oldham Athletic

In a professional career that spanned almost two decades and six clubs there are plenty of teams that the former midfielder is fond of. But Boundary Park is where it all started, through his dad and his grandad, two Jim Thompsons who both played for Latics. And Oldham is ‘home’.

“I was born in Shaw, all my family and relatives, including my mum and dad, were from Chadderton, Royton. My dad played for Latics and his dad played for Latics as well, and my great-grandad, so it’s a club very close to my heart,” said Thompson, who has been appointed Latics’ head of recruitment.

“It’s great to be working for a club that means something to me with the family history.”

Thompson, whose mum Jean is a former Miss Oldham, continued the family footballing trend, but never quite made it to Latics as a player.

“I started off at Bolton and had 10 years as a pro at Bolton, then I went to Luton, from there I went to Leicester, then to Burnley, then to Rotherham, Halifax and then Leigh. I was getting close, but I don’t think they had a chief scout to watch me!” he smiled.

There are plenty now, working in a department that in tandem with David Unsworth, the backroom staff and the board Thompson has structured practically from scratch.

“We’ve got Jim Cassell, who used to be head of recruitment at Manchester City, Garry Lazenbury, who is going to be scouting non-league, League One and League Two, Larry Redmond, who used to be chief scout at Rochdale, Ian Atkins, who is the Midlands chief scout, Glynn Snodin, who is going to be the Yorkshire scout, and Pete Yates, who is doing London for us, Gerry Cassidy, who is out in Ireland and monitoring everything there,” Thompson explained.

“They’ll come up with the recommendations, I’ll go and cast my eye over them, link back to the gaffer, John Ebbrell, Franny Jeffers and Steve Collis. It’s a proper recruitment drive that we’re doing but we’ve got to make sure the players fit the remit and the structure and the way Oldham are now going forward.

“It can be relentless. You’ve just got to be so organised and try to get out to watch these players.

“We’ve got all the technology now because Oldham have invested in it - we’ve got a chairman in Mr Rothwell and chief executive in Darren Royle who have been unbelievably supportive to us and making sure we get the right sort of player in at Oldham that excites us, that’s better than what we’ve got and that’s the remit we’re going from.

“They’ve backed us. We’ve got scouts all over now, they can go and watch the games and we talk to the manager and backroom staff on a regular basis about positions and what’s expected from those positions as well. Instead of just getting players in we’ve got to make sure the system they’re going to play that they’re going to suit it.

“There is a structure that’s put in place and it’s ongoing at the moment.”

And that means Thompson and his team are kept busy throughout the week.

“I go in on a Monday, sort the scouts out, maybe go to an Under 21 game in the afternoon once I’ve done that, then Tuesday go into the ground and tell the scouts which players they’re looking at and where they’re going to be going, Wednesday’s the same, my phone will be going talking to agents, talking to managers, they’ll be reporting back on players, there’s a player’s report of the player they’ve watched, I get them all on file, Thursday could be an Under 21 game and Friday could be a league game and then at the weekend. It’s wherever the games are,” he explained.

So with more games to watch at the weekend, when does he get a day off?

“I think until I get it off and running and we get organised we never turn off,” he said. “Saturdays you’re at a game and sometimes I might touch base with the manager and Darren on a Sunday, especially if we’ve got a chance with a player. But your phone never stops.

“From Mr Rothwell, to Darren Royle to the gaffer, we’re a team that’s striving to take the club forward. You can’t blame the previous managers or what happened before, that’s gone now and it’s well documented what happened there. We’ve got to make sure that we start doing it right and we get the right players in at the right time, to get out of the this league to get into the League. You look at the fanbase, when you’re getting 6,000-10,000 they’re crying out for success, like we are.”

The 58-year-old added: “It’s well documented what’s happened before. But it’s a new regime and we want to take Oldham back to where we think we should be.

“It’s going to be tough - one to try to get players to come out of the Football League and come into the National League with Oldham, but the good thing is you’ve got good people here, you’ve got great staff, the fan base is absolutely fantastic and they’re crying out for a bit of success. They turn up in their thousands and I think it’s important that the manager gives all the players a chance. It’s my job at the moment, for whatever requirements Oldham need is to go out there and try to get them. But it’s got to be the right fit for Oldham. It’s great getting loan signings in, if we can get loan signings in with a view to buying them that’s what ideally I’d look to do.

“I’m looking for assets that are either sellable or they take Oldham where they should be.

“We’re looking for hungry players who can come and do a job for Oldham. But the good thing is it’s a good club, great fan base, great staff here and I think people will deal with us, but it’s important we get the right players in.

“Ideally we want to buy players and they’re ours because there’s nothing worse than getting loan players in who do great for you and then you send them back to their parent club. I think the big thing is if we get people who want to come to Oldham and make them come on a journey with us and make them either sellable assets or they take Oldham where they should be and that’s back in the league.”

And after never having the chance to play for his hometown club, playing such a key role in their future is the next best thing for Thompson.