Promotion is open and schut case for Yanic

Yanic Wildschut can't wait for the Easter programme of football '“ if only to dodge a few training sessions!
Yanic WildschutYanic Wildschut
Yanic Wildschut

Latics face two crucial games in the space of three days, with this afternoon’s trip to Swindon being followed by Monday’s visit of Rochdale.

But the games can’t come fast enough for flying Dutchman Wildschut, who is aiming to keep Latics on the promotion trail at a traditionally-important stage of the campaign.

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“It’s going to be a tough weekend, but you want to play football as much as you can,” Wildschut told the Evening Post.

“The games come thick and fast, but playing is better than training so that’s nice. For me personally, I hadn’t been playing a lot before I came to Wigan so it’s just nice to be out there.

“Two games in such a short space of time, that’s okay.

“We don’t have this in Holland – apart from cup games that have to be fitted in. Normally you just play on the weekend, because there are only 34 games in the season.

“This is partly why I came to England, and at this time of year prizes are up for grabs and we need to reach out and grab it.”

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The Easter weekend affords the perfect opportunity for Latics to steal a march on their promotion rivals, with Walsall without a game and Gillingham not in action until Monday.

“We have to look at ourselves first and foremost,” Wildschut acknowledged.

“But we also know that if we can do well then the other teams have a tougher job.

“Everyone is excited at this stage of the season.

“Some players have experienced promotion, some haven’t, so everyone has a different way of managing it.

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“We’re all looking forward to the games, and this is the reason why you are in football – to achieve things and win things.

“I feel we deserve it because of how we’ve played over the whole season, but we have to make sure we finish the job now and enjoy it.

“We can see the prize, but I could also see it last year at Middlesbrough – and it didn’t happen.

“That means I’m a little more cautious this time, because you can never be too sure.

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“I just feel we have a really big chance, and if we don’t take it, we know it will be such a waste.”

Latics are hoping to remain on the winning track after a late Haris Vuckic goal sealed last weekend’s 1-0 triumph over play-off chasing Bradford.

“It was good to win after three draws in a row,” Wildschut recognised.

“Bradford made it very difficult for us, because they were playing with two banks of four and they didn’t give us an inch. Fortunately Haris came on and he made the difference for us.

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“Having someone of his quality to come on and do that proves how big and strong a squad we have. Nobody can sit back and relax, because other players are ready to take their turn and show what they can do.”

Despite having gone three games without a win prior to last weekend, the 24-year-old winger insists no-one at the club was getting anxious.

“The feeling in the camp has always been good,” he added. “We’d just been unlucky in not getting the results we deserved.

“We are now fully focused on Friday and Monday – two big games for us.

“Walsall are now really close to us in the league and we know we can’t afford to slip up.

“The intensity and quality in training has been great this week. Everyone’s ready for the challenge.”