Darron Gibson admits Wigan Athletic's strong start last term gave them false hope

A blistering start of five wins and a draw for their opening 10 league games saw them in the play-off places.

But a slump which produced just one win in December and January saw Paul Cook’s side slide down the table before a late revival saw them comfortably secure their Championship status.

“Our form at the start of the season – playing against some strong teams – gave us a lot of hope,” said Gibson.

“And maybe there was a little bit of false hope in there, with some thinking we should have been in a position we shouldn’t really have been.”

But the 31-year-old, who arrived from Sunderland last August, says the players always felt they were able to ensure Latics stayed in the Championship.

“But then again those performances showed what we were capable of and what we can do when we’re on our game,” he said.

“I knew we had enough in the dressing room, as a squad, to stay up.”

And while he waits to discover what his future holds, having admitted he would like to extend his stay at the DW Stadium, Gibson looked back on the atmosphere in the squad which

helped them over the line. He said: “The team spirit’s been great all season, and we never lost sight or hope of what we wanted to achieve.”