Former Ireland underage international Jack Byrne was supposed to revive his career at Oldham Athletic.
The Dubliner was a star at the Manchester City youth academy but he has since found it difficult to make the transition into professional football since leaving the Premier League champions last year with various stints at Cambuur, Blackburn Rovers, Wigan and now Oldham.
Byrne personally pushed for a permanent deal with the Latics last season but he has been a peripheral figure at the club so far this season amid speculation of a reported summer suspension.
Byrne and former club captain Anthony Gerrard were both said to have been suspended by the club, however, both Oldham and manager Frankie Bunn refused to comment on the reports despite the club parting ways with Gerrard last week.
Byrne has been excluded from the matchday squads for Oldham’s first two games of the season and fans of the club have started a campaign to see him brought back into the matchday fold after starting 16 of his 18 games last season.
Spent a fortune on this banner….. so glad Oldham council let me put it up 😀#FreeJackByrne pic.twitter.com/qlQRuI3Zol
— Andy Husky🦉 (@andyhusky) August 13, 2018
#oafc She’s not coming out of the cage until @OfficialOAFC #freejackbyrne pic.twitter.com/5wsIA6Urdg
— Adam Millington (@AdamGMillington) August 12, 2018
Forget 'Our Team. Our Town. Our Time.'#FreeJackByrne #oafc pic.twitter.com/Z5GtvNvjWu
— AM 🦉🍉 (@AM_OAFC) August 13, 2018
https://twitter.com/d3d4football/status/1029053206553415680
Byrne, who was called up to train with the Ireland senior team in 2016, said that he had options to leave the club last season but that he wanted to stay as a mark of loyalty to former manager Richie Wellens.
“I’m delighted to be back,” he told the club’s official website.
“I pushed for it as well and I’m grateful to the club for the opportunity to come back so hopefully we can have a good second half to the season.
“I had other options but I felt as if I owed Richie some loyalty as well because him and John Sheridan took me in the summer.
“I owe the club a bit of loyalty and hopefully some good performances in the second half of the season can pay that back.”
