What Wigan Athletic boss Paul Cook said to Joe Gelhardt before sending him on as sub at Hull

That was the final instruction given to substitute Joe Gelhardt by Paul Cook, with Wigan Athletic 2-1 down and staring down the barrel of more away-day misery at Hull.

Within two minutes of his introduction, Gelhardt had scored a magnificent equaliser to rescue a precious point for his side.

And Cook could not hide his pride in seeing the 17-year-old Academy graduate scoring his first goal in senior football.

"It's a very special goal from a very special player," enthused the Latics boss.

"He's got that unique ability to find space in a telephone box.

"And when he's in that position, he's got the talent to finish like that.

"Everything the kid does is natural - he's just a naturally good footballer.

"We don't coach him on the training ground...all we say is 'give him the ball'!

"The game comes so simple for him, and he has humility as well to keep his feet on the ground.

"A lot of young footballers now you find are not very nice people.

"We're very lucky that we have a very nice young man on our books, and not just a very good footballer.

"You never have to put him in check or anything, he's never a moment's bother.

"He just wants to play football, not get caught up in any of the other stuff."

Latics will feel they warranted a point from an entertaining encounter at the KCOM Stadium.

They took an eighth-minute lead through Chey Dunkley, but trailed at half-time as Hull turned it around thanks to goals from Jarrod Bowen and Kamil Grosicki - before Gelhardt's late intervention.