Wigan Athletic hero Roberto Martinez backed to taste Euro success this summer

That's the view of Paul Scharner, who played under Martinez in two spells as a Latics player during the Premier League years, which ended with Wembley glory in 2013.

And he believes the Spaniard has the know-how to learn from his time as Belgian manager to go all the way alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes et al.

"Yes, Roberto Martinez can definitely win the tournament with Portugal," said Scharner. "He has experience with Belgium and can bring that to Portugal.

"When he is looking back and reflecting on previous decisions, they will help him for the tournament.

"What I really like is that he's honouring Ronaldo in the squad after he fell out with the former manager.

"A player like Ronaldo should be a focal point at his age."

Scharner reckons another of his old Latics bosses, Steve Bruce, would be the perfect man to take the vacant manager's job with the Republic of Ireland.

"Could Steve Bruce be a good fit for the Ireland job? Definitely," he said. "You’d have to change your style because you don’t see the players every day.

"But with his experience as a manager and also as a player, it could be worth it for the Ireland national team."

Speaking to OLBG, Scharner also spoke of ducking Wigan's FA Cup parade in 2013 as he was so upset the side had been relegated from the Premier League.

"I skipped it," said Scharner,who had been brought back to the DW on loan from Hamburg. "I was so disappointed because one of my biggest targets in my career was not having a relegation on my CV.

"Of course, I was just a loan player, but it hurt a lot, to be honest, because two weeks before you had the biggest achievement for the club, and two weeks later, we got relegated.

"Yeah, it was very sad for me. That's why I skipped the parade."

Scharner, who was signed by then-Latics boss Paul Jewell midway through the 2005-06 campaign, remains one of the most popular players to ever turn out for Latics - partly due to his maverick personality, and array of wacky hairstyles and colours.

"I started dyeing my hair after working with a psychologist," he explained. "It started in Austria as I was one of the first players who committed to working with a mental coach.

"And that was my sign that I'm not just working with my physicality, I'm also working with my brain.

"So it started when I was ,21. And the funny thing was, I made it the day before a game in which we played the reigning champions of Austria, and then I scored my first Bundesliga goal.

"I kept dying my hair, and I think I had 12 or 13 different haircuts and colours.

"Football is also entertainment. And I think one part of a football player is not just playing football. He should also entertain the supporters."