Wigan star Daniels targets Premier League return

Wigan defender Donervan Daniels has told www.teamtalk.com that the club have no plans to stop at winning promotion to the Championship as they have their sights on getting back into the Premier League.

Wigan are on the verge of securing promotion back to the Championship at the first time of asking following their relegation 12 months ago.

Wigan require just a point from their last two games to guarantee promotion, but in reality, the League One leaders are as good as promoted already as their goal difference is vastly superior to third-placed Walsall.

“Obviously the number one goal was to win promotion and I am happy to have contributed to that in the games that I have played and my numbers have been good this season,” Daniels told www.teamtalk.com.

“I have missed a few games with niggles here and there, but I have played the majority of the games and I feel I have done well.”

Daniels, who joined Wigan last summer on a free transfer from West Brom, believes everyone connected with the club deserves praise for helping the club win promotion back to the Championship.

“It has been a great season for us and us players and the manager will get a lot of praise, but there is also a lot of people in the background who deserve some praise,” added Daniels.

“We have a great coaching staff and backroom staff all throughout the club and Wigan is a really a good club, a family club and you can feel that once you are a part of it.”

Daniels, who has been a rock for Wigan at the heart of their defence this season, believes all is in place at Wigan to get the club back to the promised land of the Premier League after the heartbreak of their relegation from the top flight in 2013.

“One hundred per cent the ultimate goal is to get the club back to the Premier League and that was one of the big selling points when I joined that the club want to get back to the Premier League as soon as possible,” continued Daniels.

“We have the potential to grow as a team, we are a strong squad, a young squad, but next year we will be more experienced and I believe a stronger team.

“We recruited well last summer and I am sure we will do so again this summer and the gaffer is one of the best young manager around so I am confident in the near future we will be back on the doorstep of the Premier League.”

The highly-rated 22-year-old insists he made the right decision to leave West Brom for Wigan as he did not want his career to stagnate after being sent out on loan four times during his spell at the Hawthorns.

“Last year at Blackpool playing 19 games was my first big breakthrough in my career and I was determined to keep on playing,” added Daniels.

“I came to Wigan to for the opportunity of playing first-team football and that is what I wanted. It was frustrating going out on loan and so when Wigan came in for me I was ready to move on.

“I built up a relationship with the manager, he promised me regular football and he has delivered and I have tried to be as good as I can be.”

Daniels admits he has learned a lot from working Gary Caldwell, who was a former central defender himself before hanging up his boots to become Wigan boss.

“The manager has been fantastic for me as an individual as being a fellow centre-half he has been able to help me a lot,” noted Daniels.

“We communicate a lot and he has improved tactically and watching video analysis of games he has helped understand the game a lot better.”