Gary Caldwell hoping for good omens when selecting first Wigan squad

THE good news for Wigan is the last time Gary Caldwell picked a starting line-up his team went on to win 8-1. The reality that he was in charge of the club’s U13s at the time might temper optimism.

Gary Caldwell, Wigan, GETTY

Gary Caldwell during his Wigan playing days

The contrast between the outcome of a kids’ game against an Irish Select XI and the task confronting Caldwell tonight could hardly be starker as a Championship lifeline at relegation rivals Fulham is up for grabs.

His first step into senior management following Tuesday’s appointment as successor to Malkay Mackay represents a daunting challenge even without taking into account he may have to drop some of the team-mates he has grown accustomed to sharing a dressing room with.

“I’ve thought about so many things, and I’ve obviously thought about that,” said Caldwell, who turns 33 on Sunday.

“I remember seeing a programme on Ryan Giggs last year, when he got the job at Manchester United, and he said one of the hardest things was picking his first team and leaving mates out of the team and having to tell them.

“I want to do that in an honest way, and I’ll always be up front with people. 

"I want to start as I mean to go on, and when that happens I want to let people know as honestly as I can.

The last team I picked was an under-13s team against an Irish select team that were over. We won 8-1 I think, so hopefully that's a good omen

Gary Caldwell

“The last team I picked was an under-13s team against an Irish select team that were over. We won 8-1 I think, so hopefully that’s a good omen.”

Caldwell breaks into a beaming smile, but he is well-aware of the seriousness of the situation he faces.

The side he inherits lies eight points from safety with five games to go and must drag Fulham back to the mire before attentions turn to Millwall who are a place and a point above them.

Chairman David Sharpe wants the club to regain its “identity” and Caldwell backs that approach, but the run-in necessitates winning is everything. 

Whether it comes with style or not is immaterial.

“I want to play,” said Caldwell. “Going back to Newcastle, where I was coached by Tommy Craig and Alan Irvine, two good Scotsmen, they taught me how to play football, how to pass the ball, how to receive the ball, as a centre-half.

“I remember going out on loan to Darlington, I was about 17, and the manager there was Tommy Taylor. In my first game the ball came up and I’ve backed off, brought it down, took it out of me feet, went to play long, reversed it into midfield and the boy got absolutely smashed, and they’ve ended up having a shot at our goal.

Gary Caldwell, WiganGETTY

Gary Caldwell is hoping to bring the feel good factor back to the DW Stadium

“I’m thinking that was actually very good what I’d done, and the manager has a go at me! He showed me you can’t do that all the time. There’s a time and a place to play, and a time and place to get rid of it.”

Whether Caldwell manages to keep Wigan afloat, and whether or not he brings long-term success, his commitment to the cause can never be in doubt. His time coaching age groups from the U8s through to U13s and U15s up to the U21s has come after a hip injury curtailed his playing career at the DW Stadium. The joint resembled a pin cushion at one point.

“The injury goes back to a problem when I first signed for Celtic,” said Caldwell, who had managed just five appearances since the end of the 2012-13 season and is now “officially retired”.

“When I came to Wigan I had double surgery, and the FA Cup-winning campaign was difficult because I was taking an injection to get through training and two to get through a game.

“I couldn’t walk for two days after that, and I had to let that wear off before going through the process again. Doc Zaman was putting needles into me every other day, but it’s something I’ve always done.

“If I could play in any way, shape or form I’d have done it, and I would never change that. It’s who I was and it’s what I tried to do. At times it was probably stupid looking back, but I wouldn’t change it.”

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