Roberto's praise for Cattermole
Roberto Martinez insists he is 'not worried' about rival interest in midfielder Lee Cattermole.
And has backed the midfielder to win a place in England's World Cup 2010 squad.
The Spaniard reckons Cattermole 'made everyone at Wigan Athletic very proud' with his sterling performances in the European Under-21 Championships.
The tenacious Teessider was the heartbeat of the Young Lions side as they reached the final in Sweden, before going down 4-0 to Germany.
Cattermole, who notched the first goal of the tournament, set the tempo in midfield for Stuart Pearce's men.
And Martinez insists the sky is the limit for the 21-year-old enforcer.
"I think Lee showed great maturity in the tournament, and he played beyond his years," Martinez told the Evening Post.
"It was a pleasure to watch him play in the centre of the midfield.
"He is one of those players who are born to lead other men, and I think the way he played in the tournament made everyone at Wigan very proud.
"We need to make sure he makes the step up now into the full squad ahead of the World Cup, and I think that is a clear example of his potential."
As well as showcasing the name of Wigan Athletic on the world stage, Cattermole's fine form also reportedly caught the eye of a number of
possible suitors, including Tottenham and Liverpool.
However, not only is the Wigan boss unconcerned about rival interest in
Cattermole – in fact he positively embraces it.
Martinez added: "I am not worried about the situation with Lee, as he is still a young man and you want that interest.
"I want the top clubs in world football to be talking about our players and about our football club.
"I prefer that to people not talking about our players. That is always a bad sign.
"It is down to us to keep progressing and making sure we are allowing these players to remain motivated and have the incentive to continue progressing. That should be part of our growth as a club – and we need players like Lee around to do that.
"It is important that Lee has his targets and keeps developing as a player, and we hope he can fulfil his potential.
"We have all seen he is a leader and someone who can go to the very top in world football. To have a player like that at your club is very exciting."
Martinez, who will give Cattermole an extra week's summer holiday to recover from his recent exertions, also admitted England's success in Sweden came as no shock to him.
"They were in the hardest group to start with and, once they got through, it stood them in good stead for the rest of the competition," he added.
"England also had a very well-balanced squad, with a lot of experience of the Premier League, which is the best league in the world.
"I think that was reflected in the quality of the players they had, and I was not surprised to see them get to the final."
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Weather for Wigan
Thursday 09 February 2012
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