Take a closer look at the latest stats and facts in our match preview ahead of Town's Sky Bet League One clash with Wigan Athletic.
Despite looking certainties for relegation this season from Sky Bet League One, Wigan have enjoyed somewhat of a resurgence under Interim Manager Leam Richardson. The caretaker boss has helped the Latics string a number of results together as they look to avoid dropping out of the league. Leading the charge for Wigan is former Salop loanee forward Callum Lang. In just half a season, the striker has notched eight goals - contributing to three wins on the bounce in their last five league fixtures.
Similar to the form of Town, the away side have picked up results at the business end of the season as they look to nail down their membership in Sky Bet League One. Going into the fixture, Town will be determined to start their own bunch of positive results after a slight dip in results. With Harry Chapman and Shaun Whalley amongst the attacking options, the Shrews will provide a stern test for any defence in the division.
Name: Wigan Athletic Football Club
Nickname: The Latics
Founded: 1932 (89 years ago)
Chairman/owner: Talal Al Hammad / Phoenix 2021 Limited
Biggest win: 8-0 v Hull City, Championship, 14th July 2020
Biggest loss: 1-9 v Tottenham Hotspur, Premier League, 22nd November 2009
Highest League finish: 10th, Premiership, 2005-06
Goalkeeper: Jame Jones
Experienced goalkeeper now in his fourth season at the DW Stadium after signing a new two-year deal with the club in the summer of 2019. Liverpool-born Jamie Jones arrived at Latics in August 2017 after his contract at Stevenage ended. An excellent shot-stopper who commands his box well, Jones boasts over 300 career appearances and has produced a number of excellent performances during his spell with Latics, helping the club to the League One title and Championship survival in his first two seasons with the club, with his eight clean sheets in his debut campaign contributing to the club’s record clean sheet tally in a single campaign (30).
Jones began his professional career at Everton but didn't make a first-team appearance for the Toffees as he played understudy during the Tim Howard era. He moved to Leyton Orient in 2008 and went on to play 179 times for the Brisbane Road club before moving to Preston North End in 2014, where he played 17 times. Loan spells followed at Coventry City, Rochdale and Colchester United before he agreed on an 18-month deal at Stevenage in January 2016, where he was a virtual ever-present, making 57 appearances before his summer departure to the DW Stadium.
Defender: Curtis Tilt
Defender Curtis Tilt joined Latics on a loan deal this summer, to run initially until January 2021. Tilt’s career path into league football was quite unique as he was plucked from amateur football to play in non-league for Halesowen Town and Hednesford Town in 2015. Later in the same year, Tilt joined AFC Telford United, where he impressed enough in the National League North to earn a move to National League Wrexham ahead of the 2016-17 season. A loan spell with Forest Green Rovers followed before Tilt was signed by Blackpool in the summer of 2017.
During his spell at Bloomfield Road, Tilt played over 100 first teams and attracted the interest of a few Championship clubs, including Latics. Tilt made the move to fellow League One side Rotherham United in January 2020, though he made just one appearance for the Millers before the COVID-19 outbreak curtailed the 2019-20 season. The Millers won promotion as they finished 2nd in the League One table and Tilt used the summer period to have surgery on a hip injury, with his return to fitness enabling Latics to bring him to the DW Stadium on a loan deal until January.
Midfielder: Lee Evans
Wales international Lee Evans is now into his fourth season at the DW Stadium, though the 2020-21 campaign will be Evans’ third as a permanent squad member after two successful loan spells. Evans initially joined Latics in 2017-18, featuring 23 times in his first spell before Sheffield United made a permanent offer to then parent club Wolves for his services. However, six months later Evans was back at the DW Stadium on an initial loan with a view to a permanent move in January 2019.
The transfer was completed and the Newport-born midfielder made his 100th Latics appearance in Latics’ League One clash at Charlton Athletic in October 2020. Evans was a youth team player at Bristol Rovers before making his senior bow with hometown club Newport County before then League One club Wolves picked up on his potential and signed him in January 2013. The midfielder spent five years in total with Wolves, making 67 appearances whilst also spending time on loan with Bradford City.
Forward: Callum Lang
Liverpool-born youngster who has progressed through Latics' academy and impressed in loan spells in League Two with Morecambe and Oldham Athletic. He recently returned from a loan spell at Motherwell after spending the 2019-20 season in League One with Shrewsbury Town. On his first league start for the club, he scored in Latics' 3-3 draw at Rochdale. Lang joined Latics at the age of 14 after being released by Liverpool and has progressed through the ranks of the academy. After a successful season for the Under 18s in 2016-17, capped off by a superb hat-trick in the Central League Cup final in April, he won the Michael Millett Award as the Under 18s Player of The Season. A powerful, quick and prolific striker at youth level, he made his mark following Paul Cook's appointment as Latics boss with goals in pre-season matches against Grimsby Town and Notts County.
Three cup appearances followed for Latics' first team before he moved out on loan to Morecambe in August 2017. The youngster notched 10 goals in 31 appearances for the Globe Arena club and won the EFL Young Player of the Month award for December 2017. At the start of the 2018-19 season, Lang signed a new two-year contract with Latics and headed out on loan to Oldham Athletic where he scored 16 goals in 50 appearances.
Officials:
Referee: David Rock
Assistants: Grant Taylor and Joe Clark
Fourth Official: Graham Salisbury
League stats panel:
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