Former Wigan Athletic man reflects on 'very, very tough' time before return south with Wimbledon

Steven Sessegnon has been reflecting on his time with Wigan Athletic, admitting it was 'tough, very tough' towards the end.

The 26-year-old had an up and down three years with Latics, following his arrival from Premier League Fulham in the summer of 2023.

After being a regular under Shaun Maloney in his first season, he slipped down the pecking order somewhat due to fitness and injury issues.

He was made available by Ryan Lowe at the end of his second season and, although he remained to see out the last 12 months of his contract, he hardly played under the Liverpudlian.

And the writing was on the wall when, on a rare appearance, Sessegnon was red-carded at Stockport in Gary Caldwell's second game in charge back in February.

Following his release, Sessegnon returned to London by joining League One rivals Wimbledon, and came on as a substitute in the Dons' 1-0 victory over his former club earlier this season.

He's certainly not wasting any time on what went wrong at Wigan.

"Things happen fast in football," he said. "When I was put on the transfer list, I was told I wasn't going to play and I didn't go on the pre-season trip.

"But I ended up starting the first game of the season due to injuries or lack of availability, and I thought I did well.

"It's fair game, it's part of it. The manager came in, the club wanted to go in a different direction.

"As long as everyone can come out of it happy and people can move onto clubs where they know they can do well, there's no problem with it.”

Having arrived as predominantly a full-back or wing-back, Sessegnon found himself playing at the heart of the defence under Lowe and Caldwell - which he admits was a challenge.

"It was tough," he said. "Very, very tough. I felt like I could contribute to a team, but didn't really have the trust or belief behind me to do it.

"But as much as I could say I didn't have the proper backing to be in my own position, I was still given a chance to play football. It was down to me and it just never happened.

"There was no issue with anyone else apart from myself. I learned a lot there, a lot I can take with me for the rest of my career. It was a learning curve.

"The biggest thing was professionalism. Even in the worst stages of when I wasn't playing and I was told I wasn't going to be a part of it, I could still carry myself and be the best possible person.

"I felt I owed it to myself to show people I was still a very good trainer, a very good player and I think that helped me stick around longer than they probably wanted me to."

Speaking to Sky Sports, Sessegnon says he jumped at the opportunity to return to the capital over the summer.

"I was preparing to go on holiday with my family and I got a call. I said 'let's get it sorted'," he added.

"But it was also about the position I would play. It wasn't complicated. I knew I could come in and, if I could get minutes, I would show my ability."