Wigan Athletic star Christian Saydee ready to make up for lost time - 'It made me a lot hungrier'

Getting injured so early in pre-season could turn out to be a blessing in disguise in some respects for Wigan Athletic star Christian Saydee.

​The striker was dealt a huge blow in the summer when he suffered a significant calf problem.

It was in early July that Saydee’s best-laid plans for this season were thrown into disarray when he broke down injured.

The former Portsmouth star missed the opening couple of months of the campaign, and his absence has been felt.

The Latics sit bottom of the League One table after picking up just seven points out of a possible 36.

Over the past couple of weeks, Saydee has made a tentative return – featuring as a substitute in each of the last four games.

Although his cameo appearances have ultimately not been enough to change Wigan’s fortunes – they have lost their past three league games – Saydee has provided a spark in attack.

He has already notched twice off the bench in the 2-1 defeats to Oxford United and Huddersfield Town respectively, and his late appearance on Tuesday was too little, too late in the 3-0 loss at Leicester City.

It may be that this weekend’s home game against Bromley is the moment to throw Saydee in from the start.

However, boss Gary Caldwell has insisted that he will remain cautious with regard to the fan favourite’s full playing return.

The 24-year-old admits he has been working diligently over the past few months to get himself back.

Indeed, he looks leaner and fitter, and he admits the enforced absence has made him hungrier than ever before.

"The injury was difficult because I had worked really hard in the off-season to come back and kind of show people what I could do,” Saydee said.

"It was a little setback, but sometimes this is how it’s meant to be. I take the positives from being injured in terms of it changing my mindset and making me a bit hungrier to want to get back out there and get in the best shape possible.

"(The medical team) pushed me in the gym, and I stuck to it. I am feeling better and looking better, so I am happy.

"When I did the injury, I was off my feet for a while, but they quickly got me on the wattbike, and mostly upper body work – once I could do that for a week or two, I started to do more proper wattbike work every day, which was obviously draining but helpful. It was mostly gym and wattbike until I could get outside, but I felt good.

“I try not to weigh myself too much, but the weight has definitely come down. I think I’ve just grown more muscle and become leaner and stronger. I feel way more powerful, and I feel like I can move quicker.

“It was difficult (being out injured), but I feel like it just makes you hungrier and you just want to help when you can’t really help, so it made me a lot hungrier (to get back).”

Saydee’s return has been warmly greeted by the Wigan fans, who have been chanting his name in each of his last four appearances from the bench.

“I definitely felt appreciated when I first came back and the moment I took it in was the Huddersfield game when I came on,” he added.

“I could hear the fans throughout the whole time, but it’s a nice feeling when the fans back you and they back us a lot, so hopefully they can just keep backing everyone and keep pushing us.”

While Saydee builds his way back up to full match fitness, the London-born forward is hoping to help Latics climb off the foot of the League One table, starting with Saturday’s home clash with Bromley.

“I think I’m always up for the fight,” he said. “It’s obviously been difficult, games haven’t turned out the way we wanted them to turn out, but in my opinion, you can definitely see our style of play and you can see what we’re trying to do, so there are obviously little parts of that missing, but I’m sure we’ll end up getting there.”