On-loan Chelsea youngster Reece James has been given the opportunity to lead Wigan out for their final match of the season at the DW Stadium this Sunday.
The Sky Bet Championship comes to a close this weekend, with the Latics in 18th place and nine points off the relegation zone thanks to big performances from the versatile Chelsea man.
The youngster has enjoyed a fantastic season at the DW Stadium, appearing in 44 out of the 45 Championship matches played so far and scoring three goals in the process. His work ethic, ability and confidence have not gone amiss as he has widely been praised throughout the season.
The 19-year-old has received praise from the Championship club by winning Wigan’s Player of the Month four times and also picking up April’s Goal of the Month award.
Wigan manager Paul Cook wants to award James for all his work this season by giving the loanee the captain’s armband in the absence of club captain Samy Morsy who is at risk of a suspension.
Speaking to iFollow Latics, Cook highlighted how important the player has been for them and deserves all the plaudits he will get.
Reece has been an outstanding professional during his time at our club and someone who completely deserves the praise he gets.
With that said, Reece will captain the team on Sunday and it’s likely that we’ll bring him off during the latter stages of the game so that our supporters can give him the ovation he deserves.
Around that, we’ll pick the strongest team possible as we want to finish the season with as many points as possible. It’s a tough one for Samy, he’s an exemplary captain for our club, but we don’t want to risk him being suspended for the start of the next season.
James will return back to parent club Chelsea once the season has ended and battle for a first-team spot at Stamford Bridge.
