Manager John Sheridan has completed his second summer signing with the arrival of striker Chris Porter on a one-year contract.
Porter, 38, who scored 31 goals in 75 games for Latics across two seasons during the early part of his career, rejoins after spending the last five years at Crewe Alexandra.
The 6’1’’ frontman played under Sheridan during the second of his two previous campaigns at Oldham, initially arriving at Boundary Park in the summer of 2005 before enjoying a successful time in front of goal in League One.
Sheridan said: “The experience and pedigree that Chris brings speaks for itself and I’m very pleased at being able to add a player of his calibre which is vital as we rebuild the squad.
“Chris has scored goals wherever he has played and as a striker he brings many other attributes in terms of his overall play and contribution to the team.
“I’ve worked with Chris before, he is a top professional who demands high standards from everyone around him. That approach to the game has been hugely important in his career and it will make him a key figure for us during the season ahead.”
Porter originally joined Latics after breaking into senior football at Bury before a return of 27 goals during two seasons at Motherwell earned him a move to Derby County.
After being restricted in his appearances due to injury, he then joined Sheffield United in 2011, adding a further 23 goals, before loans at Shewsbury and Chesterfield.
As he has reached the latter part of his career in recent years, Porter’s goalscoring return has continued to hold strong.
He scored 30 league goals in 78 starts for Colchester and was part of the Crewe team that earned promotion from League Two in 2020, netting a total of 54 times for the Alex.
Porter said: “I’m very pleased to be back at the club and I’m looking forward to the new season. I had one of my best seasons under Shez when I was here previously and hopefully I can do that again.
“I’ve spoken a lot to Shez recently, he’s a big part of the reason I have signed and has talked to me a lot about what he wants to do.
“I’ve spent the last five years at Crewe and have been able to score quite a few goals so I’ll be able to bring goals to the team, as well the experience that will hopefully help the youngster players.”
Porter will join Latics on 1 July after the conclusion of his contact at Crewe. The move is also subject to the relevant FA and league approval.
A video interview with Chris will be released shortly.
Welcome back to Boundary Park, Chris!