Wigan Athletic make gesture to Blackpool midfielder amid uncertain future
Blackpool midfielder Ollie Norburn will be allowed to remain with Wigan Athletic this summer while he makes his way back from injury.
The midfielder, who is out of contract at Bloomfield Road at the end of the season, has been hit with a spell on the sidelines in the last few weeks, which has brought his campaign to an end.
Since making the January loan move to the Brick Community Stadium, the 32-year-old has made 14 appearances for the Latics, after previously struggling for minutes with the Seasiders under Steve Bruce.
Norburn first joined Blackpool in the summer of 2023, and was instantly handed the captain’s armband, holding the role until last July.
Following his move away from the Fylde Coast during the winter transfer window, Bruce admitted the ex-Peterborough United man had played his final game in Tangerine.
When asked about the situation again last week, he responded: “It’s still the case (that he’ll leave in the summer) because I think the kid has to move on.
“We made that decision in January - which was a big one, because we left ourselves a little bit light in the middle of the pitch.
“It was something that Ollie wanted and suits us as well. I think he’s played his last game for us.”
What Lowe has said about Norburn’s future
Following Saturday afternoon’s 1-1 draw with the Seasiders at the Brick Community Stadium, Wigan boss Ryan Lowe stated Norburn would remain with the Greater Manchester outfit to continue his rehabilitation to prepare him for his search for a new club.
“He’s injured at the minute,” he said.
“He’s out for the season with an achilles problem. I’ve known Ollie for many years, he’s a great lad, a great character, and a great footballer.
“He’s only come here on loan. He only had three or four games for me, but I know his capabilities.
“If Steve (Bruce) said he’s not going to be there next season, then that’s fine, I’m sure his agent will be doing a lot of work to get him a club because he’s well worthy of it.
“We have said to Ollie, because of his injury, he will continue his rehab with us, and we’ll get him as fit as we possibly can to find him a club - it’s the right thing to do.
“He’s a great lad, so there’s a good chance he’ll be with us in pre-season to get fit. I don’t know how long the injury will be really, but it’s going to be longer than the next six weeks. We’ll give him the best opportunity to get himself fully fit.”
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