Old Father Time has scuppered any chance Shaun Goater might have had of a move to Wigan Athletic.

The Division Two champions were rumoured to be sounding out the 33-year-old Bermudian after he announced he was leaving Manchester City at the end of the season but his age appears to have ruled him out.

Goater signed for City in 1998 and has become a Maine Road legend, but his chances under boss Kevin Keegan have diminished and he has found himself somewhat out in the cold following the arrivals of Nicolas Anelka and Robbie Fowler.

Sources in England believed Wigan boss Paul Jewell might be tempted to take on Goater for the Latics' campaign in Division One next season, and although he may cost upwards of ?1-million, cash was not thought to be problem as the Lancashire side are bankrolled by multi-millionaire chairman Dave Whelan.

However, it is Whelan himself who appears to have pulled the plug on any planned transfer.

The chairman said with football finances tight there would be around 500 to 600 players looking for clubs over the summer and Jewell would have the task of sifting through them.

However, he said: "We won't be looking at high profile players - some of them work out, a lot don't - and we also don't want players over the age of 30.

"I want young players. For example, we have Duke (Nathan Ellington) up front and we need someone of a similar age to play alongside him.

"When you sign players who are 30, 31, 32, 33, they get injured and are out for weeks. We have been through all that and now we want lads of 25, 26 - no older."

Meanwhile, Kyle Lightbourne is rumoured to be a target for Third Division Carlisle United.

Lightbourne was told his contract at Macclesfield would not be renewed and he is free to move to a new club. He was the joint runner-up for Macclesfield's unofficial website the Silkweb.com's Player of the Year award.

John Barry Nusum's run of form in front of the net ran out on Sunday night when the Atlanta Silverbacks went down 2-0 at home to the Richmond Kickers. Nusum has scored three goals so far this season.