Kiwi Chris Killen "should be on his hands and knees" in gratitude rather than criticising Oldham Athletic owners, manager Ronnie Moore says.
Killen last week signed a free transfer from Oldham in England's League One to Hibernian in the Scottish premier league. He was keen to get away from a
club where the manager had stopped playing him despite some good form.
"He dropped me to the reserves. I played four games, scored nine goals, and he still wouldn't want to know really," Killen said of Moore.
The transfer window in January came up and Killen seized his chance to move to Scotland. "It just wasn't seeming to be working there for me so it was time to move on."
Oldham's managing director, Simon Corney, responded by claiming that Killen's 3 1/2 year stay had cost the club almost £834,000, ($2.1 million).
The Manchester Evening News reported that Killen last week claimed orders from Oldham's owners had prevented Moore from playing him in the first team. Moore disputed those claims, issuing a withering assessment of Killen's contribution.
"He under-achieved at the football club, he was always injured and should be thanking the owners, never mind having a go at anybody.
"The club made him a very rich man because they had to pay his wages from a contract they inherited - he should be on his hands and knees and saying, 'Thanks very much'."
- NZPA
