SIMON CHARLTON returns to where his career began (or at least a few hundreds yards from it) tomorrow aiming to show Town fans what they have been missing since his switch to Southampton more than 13 years ago.
Town were still based at Leeds Road when the Huddersfield-born left-back made his first-team debut as an 18-year-old in the 1-0 defeat by Crewe on March 3, 1990.
It was the first of 157 games for the club during which time the graduate of the FA's former National Academy at Lilleshall forged a reputation as a top prospect, twice winning berths in the PFA divisional team of the season.
It was certain a bigger club would come hunting for the England Youth cap, and Town duly completed a club-record £375,000 sale to the Saints in the 1993 close-season.
Since then, Charlton has also played for Birmingham, Bolton and Norwich before joining Oldham in the summer.
He missed last week's 2-0 win over Bradford at Boundary Park with a hamstring problem.
But he has been passed fit to return as John Sheridan's seventh- placed side aim to make it four wins on the trot in League I.
That record is much changed from the start of the season, when the Latics suffered four defeats in their first six, after which they were third-bottom.
The tide turned with a 1-0 home victory over Scunthorpe, since when ex-Leeds man Sheridan's side have lost just once in 11 in the league.
And that was by the only goal at fifth-placed Yeovil!
It's the kind of form which has got the punters across the Pennines talking about promotion.
And Sheridan, the former Republic of Ireland star who replaced Ronnie Moore in the summer, said: "I don't like saying we're going to do this or that, but I'm delighted with all the players.
"We've just kept a dangerous Bradford team quiet for long periods, and if we keep performing to that level, of course we've got a chance of going up.
"I've always thought consistency will be the key if we are going to reach the top six in this division.
"Hopefully we are starting to find it.
"It's still early days, but the lads are going in the right direction and improving all the time.
"What we can't do is look too far ahead because it's no use playing well one week and then switching off in our next game.
"I want the lads to enjoy the run they are on, but we certainly shouldn't get carried away."
