Are further contract renewals imminent at Blackpool? Neil Critchley has his say

Gary Madine became the latest Blackpool player to commit his future to the club over the weekend when he signed a fresh one-year deal with an option.

The striker’s previous contract was due to run out at the end of the season, although the club did have the option to activate a further 12 months.

Attention will now inevitably turn to the likes of Keshi Anderson, Josh Bowler, Richard Keogh, Stuart Moore, Jordan Thorniley and Grant Ward - whose current deals are all entering their final months.

Ward aside, the Seasiders do hold one-year options on their other out-of-contract players.

When asked if further contract renewals are imminent, Critchley told The Gazette: “If I say yes I’ll be a fool and if I say no I’ll be a fool because if you had asked me a couple of days ago, we hadn’t even spoken about that (Madine’s contract) or even thought about it.

“It happened very quickly and it was done very quickly, so these things can happen quickly but they can also take a bit of time, it just depends on the individual and different circumstances.”

Madine, who joined Blackpool in January 2020, has made 62 appearances for the club, scoring 18 times.

He brings so much more to the team than just goals though, as he leads the line superbly and has an aerial presence at both ends of the pitch.

On Madine’s new deal, Critchley said: “Brilliant, I’m delighted.

“It all happened quite quickly. Gary wanted to stay, we desperately want him to stay because he’s been a bit of a talismanic figure at this club.

“He’s been helping Jake Beesley behind the scenes and he’s been supporting him. He can learn off Gary and listen to him.

“I’m delighted Gary has decided to stay. That’s Gary, that’s Marvin (Ekpiteta) and that’s really important for the future.”

Madine came off the bench during Easter Monday’s 6-1 demolition of Birmingham City, winning his side a late penalty.

The spot kick was dispatched by strike partner Jerry Yates, who scored for the first time since Boxing Day.