'Warrior mentality' has kept us in fight, insists Wigan Athletic star

Against all the odds - on and off the pitch - Latics still have a shot at escaping the drop to League One heading into the penultimate game.

Back-to-back wins against Stoke and Millwall have kept them in the dogfight, with two cup finals to go.

Nothing less than wins over Reading this weekend and Rotherham on the last day would be enough to see the job through - and even then they'd need help from elsewhere.

But the on-loan Arsenal man points to the character in the team as reason for hope.

"A warrior mentality - that's what I think about when I look at this team," he said.

"We are warriors, because it's not been easy, and even before I came to the club in January.

"I heard there was a lot of stuff going on before that, and it hasn't been an easy season for everyone connected to the club.

"But like I said, it has taken a warrior mentality to keep going, no-one here has given up, you keep going until the very last moment.

"And let's see what happens on Saturday."

For the first time this term, it's now - mathematically at least - not in Latics' own hands.

But Rekik says the belief in the camp is steadfast.

"Of course we still believe," he said. "Obviously we have to hope for other scorelines to be in our favour.

"But as a group we remain full of belief.

"First of all we have to go out and do our own job against Reading.

"That will be a hard game, against a good team, but we have to do our job first and foremost."

Rekik has impressed since arriving in the January window from Arsenal.

Whether his next move will be another loan, or the Gunners choose to keep him at the Emirates remains to be seen.

The player, though, is not thinking beyond the next two fixtures.

"Look, I'm here now, we've got two games left, and that's all I'm focusing on," he added.

" I have enough time in the summer to look at and work out.

"Everything is open, but the only thing that matters now is the two games we have left.”