Where now for Gosney? (From Daily Echo)

Where now for Gosney?

9:14pm Monday 31st August 2009 in

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WINGER Mike Gosney has burned his bridges with Eastleigh after failing to turn up for training.

The on-loan AFC Totton wideman went on as a substitute at Thurrock on August 22, but hasn’t been seen since.

He failed to return phone calls from Eastleigh boss Ian Baird and coach Matt Gray, but finally sent a text message to the Spitfires’ director of football David Malone to say he had work commitments.

A bemused Baird said: “You give an opportunity to a lad with undoubted ability and then he doesn’t turn up for training or return your calls.

“It’s disappointing. Mike seems a nice lad with good ability, but he won’t be involved with us again.

“Maybe at Totton you can miss training and still play, but that doesn’t happen at Eastleigh.”

What irks Baird most is that Eastleigh let left-sided youngster Michael Green join Totton on loan for a month in exchange for Gosney’s services – a deal that is irreversible.

“No way would I have gone ahead with that if I’d known he (Gosney) was only going to play a cameo role at Thurrock,” said Baird.

Prior to signing loan forms for Eastleigh, Gosney – a key member of Totton’s FA Vase final and Wessex Leaguewinning side – had told the Stags he would be unavailable to play for them all season because of work.

“He didn’t return our calls either,” said Totton’s director of football Budny. “He’s under contract with us this season and the club’s got a year’s option, so it looks as though he’s ruled himself out of football for two years.”

One club keeping a close eye on the Gosney situation are Totton’s Southern 1 South & West rivals VT FC.

But Budny said: “I doubt VT would pay a fee for him and no way will we let him go for nothing.”

VT boss Dave Diaper admitted: “I’m a big fan of Gosney’s but I wouldn’t think Totton would want him moving to us now we’re in the same league.”