Can Wigan do it again? Maloney back on form
With the small Scotsman recently becoming resurgent during Wigan’s 4th straight relegation run in, Shaun Maloney seems to engineering their form which keeps them afloat every year, here is a little run through of his career.
As the first ever player in the SPL to win player of the year and young player of the year back in the 2005-2006 season which saw him score 16 goals & contribute 28 assists from midfield for Celtic. Chief exec at the time Peter Lawwell was keen to tie down Maloney to the club but after continued discussions it was feared that Maloney’s contract will expire & he would be able to sign a pre-contract in 2007 and leave on a free transfer. However, he did leave Celtic for Aston Villa for £1 million in January of 2007, with his time at the Villains largely lacklustre due to Maloney suffering from homesickness and expressed his desire to return to Scotland, which he did a year later.
After taking his tally of goals for Celtic up to 44 overall, he was signed by Wigan for £850,000 and admittedly, he struggled for match fitness and form during the start of his Latics tenure, and in March 2012 made his first Wigan appearance for 5 months and was described as “outstanding” by the media and was rewarded a run in the team and on the 24th of March 2012, he scored the winning penalty against Liverpool, his first goal for Wigan. With a wonderfully placed curling effort against Manchester United which saw Wigan lifted out of the relegation scrap after as few months languishing.
As of late, he was named player of the Semi-final rounds in the FA Cup and seems to replicating his earlier Wigan & Celtic form which saw him to being one of the best players in the SPL in recent years and he really is a tricky, technical player. If I had to compare him too any other player in the league at the moment, I’d say it would be Santi Cazorla, different kettle of fish, obviously, but the way he operates between the lines and his agility in cutting back is reminiscent of the Spaniard, Cazorla. Roberto Martinez described him as an “engine” in their 3-2 win against West Brom yesterday. With a cup final coming up and another season battling to keep their Premier League status, Maloney is hitting form at exactly the right time.
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