ACE CALLUM EYES UP GREAT ESCAPE

CALLUM Lang was a teenager in Wigan’s academy when the Latics won the FA Cup eight years ago – and the striker believes a successful League One great escape would be an achievement to rival the club’s finest hour.

- Paul Martin

The 22-year-old has seized his opportunity since being recalled from a loan spell at Motherwell in January and the winner against Sunderland in midweek took his tally to eight in 18 games going into yesterday’s clash with Crewe.

Lang’s goals and a successful takeover by Bahraini-funded group Phoenix 2021 Limited last month have helped breathe fresh life into a campaign which began with key players sold following a slide into administration and included a two-month winless spell between October and December amid off-field uncertainty.

But with a core of young players now stronger for the experience, the Latics have improved in recent months and Lang believes the side are peaking at the right time as they look to avoid dropping into the fourth tier for the first time since 1997.

“When I came back in January, I didn’t think about it as fighting at the bottom of the league,” he said. “I just wanted to give everything for this shirt and hope we came good by the end of the season.