Sky Bet League One: Oldham's Jonathan Forte knew form would come

Oldham Athletic striker Jonathan Forte always believed he was capable of producing the form which has landed him a Player of the Month award.

The 28-year-old has seen an impressive run through October recognised with a prestigious Sky Bet League One prize.

Forte plundered five goals in as many games to fire Oldham towards the third tier play-off places, with a man who has spent much of the last three years out on loan after struggling for game time at Southampton thriving in new surroundings at Boundary Park.

He told Sky Sports: “I haven’t been involved for the last few years at Southampton, so I just wanted to get out there and do as best I can.

“I was at Southampton and not really doing anything and at the end of the season I knew I had to knuckle down and put myself back on the map. I wasn’t involved, but Lee Johnson has given me the opportunity to be.

“It’s stop-start when you’re on loan. It wasn’t great for myself, I was getting games here, there and everywhere. Obviously you are wanted there, but you aren’t actually their player. I wanted something different, and now I’m at Oldham Athletic. You feel wanted. That’s a good thing.

“I knew I could do it before, it was just getting the opportunity to do that. The opportunity wasn’t really there. I knew I could do it, I just needed that chance. Now I’m at Oldham and I’ve taken it.”

On his monthly gong, Forte added: “Everyone wants to do well for yourself. When the team is doing well as well, that makes it even better.

“Hopefully we can continue carry on playing as well as we can. We know what we can do, and get better as well. When January comes, you’re heading towards the business end of the season and you want to push on and get promoted.”

I knew I could do it before, it was just getting the opportunity to do that. The opportunity wasn’t really there. I knew I could do it, I just needed that chance. Now I’m at Oldham and I’ve taken it.

Oldham are sat ninth in the standings at present, one point adrift of the top six, with Forte crediting Johnson – one of the most highly-rated young managers in the game – with turning the club’s fortunes around after a period of mediocrity.

He said: “It’s mainly down to the manager, really. He’s brought in players that will do a job for him. It’s working at the moment, so hopefully we can continue playing as well as we can.

“Everyone has bought into what he wants and his thought process. Everything has gone well. It’s good.

“The manager has said from the start that he wants to get promoted. Obviously we’re not getting carried away, we’re going to try and do as best we can and once we’ve got past January, we’ll hopefully be in the mix and anything can happen.”

Jonathan Forte was talking to Sky Sports on behalf of Sky Bet, the Title Sponsor of The Football League.

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