Bolton Wanderers handed Wigan Athletic a Premier League era club legend:
Football is a game full of ups and downs, and over the last couple of decades, Wigan Athletic are a club who have experienced a particularly unique rollercoaster.
The Latics were promoted to the Premier League in 2005, just ten years after Dave Whelan purchased the club in 1995, and would survive in the top-flight for eight years despite often relying on dramatic last-day survival efforts following relegation battles.
The Greater Manchester club were relegated back to the Championship in 2013, but this was still the finest year in the club’s history as they lifted the FA Cup by beating Manchester City 1-0 in the final courtesy of Ben Watson’s header.
The Latics’ time following their Premier League exit has often been less glamorous, as they have been relegated to League One on four occasions and also faced administration in 2020, as well as an HMRC winding-up petition amid unpaid wages in 2023.
Wigan have experienced some fine moments since their top-flight relegation, such as appearing in the 2013/14 Europa League campaign courtesy of their FA Cup triumph.
But they have never been able to emulate their Premier League glory days, and one player who was central to much of the Latics’ top-flight era was goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi, who signed for the club from bitter rivals Bolton Wanderers.
Bolton handed Wigan a club legend
Despite the fierce rivalry between the Wanderers and the Latics, the Greater Manchester neighbours have shared many players over the years, including former Liverpool and England hot-shot Emile Heskey.
However, direct transfers between the two clubs are still somewhat of a rarity, making former Premier League ace Al Habsi a particularly prominent example.
The ex-Oman international became a stalwart for the Latics in their latter top-flight years, initially joining on loan from the Wanderers ahead of the 2010/11 season.
This was a campaign in which the shotstopper really shone for his side, who avoided relegation with a last-day victory over Stoke City, and was named as the Latics’ 2010/11 player of the season.
Wanderers finished above their local rivals by four points that year, but he signed for the Brick Community Stadium side on a permanent basis ahead of the 2011/12 season.
According to the Premier League, Al Habsi made six penalty saves during his time as a top-flight goalkeeper, while the Wigan faithful will have particularly fond memories of a spot-kick save he made against Liverpool’s Charlie Adam during a 0-0 draw in December 2011.
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