Wigan Athletic 'new-boy' can't wait to get going

The 22-year-old was surprisingly farmed out to ‘Well last summer as part of the cost-cutting measures at the club.

But after five goals in 21 appearances – including two in the Europa League, and one against runaway SPL leaders Rangers at Ibrox – he is champing at the bit to help Latics move up the League One table.

And rejoining a group of players he has grown up with in the club’s Academy.

“It’s really nice to be back,” he said. “There are a lot of lads at Wigan who I am really close with – it’s like playing with your mates.

“It feels like a long time, but I come back to a squad that is full of players and staff that I have been with since I was a kid really.

“You know what to expect from each other when you’re on the pitch and you thrive off that.

“I trained at Christopher Park in my first few years at Wigan as well so it’s nice to be back in a familiar environment.

“The staff as well, it’s all so familiar, seeing people like Regina (cleaner at the training ground), it just puts a smile on your face.”

Lang’s loan at Motherwell was the fourth of his short career, after previous spells at Morecambe, Oldham and Shrewsbury.

“It was different for me, moving up to Scotland,” he acknowledged. “It was the first time I moved away on loan and was away from my family and friends.

“At the start, when it was new, I got on with it but being away from home was frustrating, and due to Coronavirus it wasn’t like I could even mix with my team-mates away from football.”

Experiencing the Europa League was definitely one of the huge upsides to his time in Scotland.

“It was an amazing experience,” he enthused. “Travelling to a different country to play a football match was unique and the first time I have experienced something like that.

“We got knocked out in the third qualifying round in Israel, travelling there to play football was a crazy experience.

“We wanted to get into the group stages but unfortunately we couldn’t do it.

“A lot of the lads took something from the experience, I certainly did, to get some goals in the Europa League just gives me that bit more confidence.

“And I want to take that into the second half of the season with Wigan now.

“All of the loans have helped me learn more, and I come back to Wigan with over 100 games under my belt, which has been a good experience.

“If I had been thrown in at 16 or 17 – which could have happened – then I wouldn’t have been as ready as I am now.

"So I am looking forwards positively, and hoping my experience will help the team out.”