The 31-year-old arrived at the club during Oldham’s ill-fated 2022 season but injuries restricted him to just two appearances.
Despite the club losing its EFL status, Fondop stuck with the club and has scored 37 goals in 113 National League appearances since.
But what encouraged him to stay at Boundary Park?
“The manager at the time, John Sheridan, called me after the end of the season and said ‘I need you to come back. You owe me because I signed you and you only played two games. I want you to get this club back where it belongs’,” Fondop said.
“So that has always been an objective because I came and I didn’t have a chance to help them stay in League Two.
“The club doesn’t belong in League Two, they belong higher than that but it is a step by step process.”
Between their relegation from League Two and the start of the following 2022-23 National League season, a takeover of the Latics by local businessman Frank Rothwell was completed.
That ended Abdallah Lemsagam’s tenure in control of the club and Fondop said that the difference between then and now is stark.
“The club is absolutely different now. The ownership now is more family orientated. The owners are approachable and want everyone to feel part of a family,” he added.
“In the past it felt toxic. As a player I was focused on what I was signed to do but the environment at the time felt toxic. Now it is so different.
“If a club doesn’t treat its players well you might think in the long run you can get away with it, you might for a period of time, but eventually it is going to affect results. Now the treatment is completely different.”
