Wigan Athletic Review of the Year - with skipper Jason Kerr

I think back to the start of the year, and it all seems a very long time ago!

On a personal note, I was just starting to come back from my long-term knee injury, and all I was focused on was getting back onto the field and helping the team.

Obviously, with the points deduction at the start of the season, we had a lot of work to make up on the rest. But by January, after starting the season really well with a lot of wins, it was so far so good.

The main aim last season was to stay up, and at the halfway mark we were well on course to do that.

My own goal was to just get back into the team and play some games, because I'd been out for so long. But probably the fact it was a contact injury made a massive difference for me...because there's nothing I could have done about it.

I did have a few setbacks along the way...I broke my foot which knocked me back a few weeks. When I did come back, I knew I wasn't at my best at the very start, but I knew I hadn't lost a lot, and I was always confident it would come back.

I think my first full game back was Doncaster in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy, and I thought I actually played really well even though we got beat.

And in the end, we managed to stay up quite comfortably, which was a massive achievement given all the constraints and what was going on at the club.

At one point, there might not even have been a club, and I don't think anyone should underplay what an achievement it was to finish in their top half.

But in football, you always want more, and if anything we were probably a bit disappointed we didn't push more for a play-off position given some of the performances.

At the end of the season, I was obviously out of contract, and it was time for me to have a think about what was right for me - on and off the pitch

But all through the thought process, Wigan were at the back of my mind...and I really felt like I had unfinished business here.

I love the gaffer, I absolutely love playing under him, and it was always going to be Wigan...I've said that before and I absolutely meant it...I'm so glad I made that decision.

Over the summer, the gaffer also made me club captain, which is a massive honour for me and my family...it was a real source of pride for us all.

It means so much for me to be able to lead this team, it's such a young team, and I'm determined to lead them as best I can.

Summer was another one of upheaval, with so many players leaving, especially senior players, and so many new players coming in to take their places.

That's always a challenge for any group, because you don't know the new players coming in and you have to get used to them and vice versa.

You have to get to know the person first before you get to know the player, but it helps if the players are good ones and I feel we added a lot of quality over the summer.

That's made it easier for me to lead the group, and I've been helped by the fact we have a few other senior players who have also stood up to help with that process.

As far as the way this season’s gone, it's been very much up and down. And the challenge for us all is to try to be a bit more consistent, and make sure we don't leave points out there as we have done a few times.

The highlight of the first half of the season was once again the trip to Bolton, and coming away with all three points.

I absolutely love playing there because of the atmosphere the fixture generates - I think every Wigan fan would say the same - and the away end was absolutely incredible once again.

Bolton is always a massive game for us, and I don't think the result was ever in doubt because of the way we showed up - on and off the pitch. All of the lads were up for it, and I think that showed.

As far as the league table goes, we're approaching the midway point of the season and we all know we should be higher up.

We were unable to back up the Bolton win against Shrewsbury, and the gaffer was so annoyed after the game - and rightly so.

If we'd managed to win that game - and when you're 2-0 up midway through the second half, you should be winning - we'd have been within five points of the top six with a game in hand.

Obviously we dropped two points, but there's still half of the season to go and we're still a work in progress.

We've seen all seen that anyone can beat anyone else in the league, and anything can happen.

All we have to do is focus on ourselves, find that consistency that's what we've struggled for so far, and try to win as many games as we can.

Our aim has always been the play-offs and, although we've given ourselves work to do, that still feels like it's within reach.

As part of the defensive line, first and foremost we have to make sure we keep that clean sheet, and we're all very proud we've been in the top two or three defensive records for most of the season.

I also have to say that's not just down to the defenders...it's down to the whole team, because we defend from the front, everyone is part of that effort.

But as defenders, you're judged on the goals conceded, and obviously it helps when you've got Sam Tickle in goal!

Any team would want Sam Tickle in goal, he's been a massive part of what we're doing at the moment, and I think this is just the start for him - and hopefully for this team and the club as a whole.