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Roberto Martinez: ‘Don’t call McManaman a thug’
ROBERTO MARTINEZ claims winger Callum McManaman should not be branded a thug and can become an England international.
McManaman, 21, has been thrust in the spotlight following a knee-high tackle on Newcastle defender Massadio Haidara which overshadowed Wigan’s 2-1 win over Alan Pardew’s side at the DW Stadium.
But ahead of Wigan’s Premier League clash against Norwich tomorrow, Martinez insisted McManaman is not a dirty player and wants the football world to move on from the incident.
“He’s not a thug,” said Martinez. “People will want to know more about Callum now and they will soon realise what he is as a player. I have been impressed with Callum’s attitude and the manner in which he has taken in everything.
He’s not a thug
“He has been a mature boy. That’s a credit to himself and the way in which he has been able to develop.
“We were very happy to find out it was not a major injury to Haidara. But Callum showed me that he was prepared to give his life to win a ball – and that is what you need when you are in a fight like we are at the moment.
“He’s not someone who is a bad tackler, or a nasty tackler. He is someone who has been involved in an incident.
“In the same game, James Perch made a tackle on Arouna Kone and he was given a yellow card for it. Arouna needed treatment for it over the next few days, but that wasn’t a highlight or a talking point. Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of a storm without needing to be.”
McManaman played for Stuart Pearce’s England at the 2011 Under-20 World Cup in Colombia, and Martinez added: “Callum has that raw talent to help England a few years down the line, not now.”