Editors Blog: How a Chilean Changed Wigan Athletic

You maybe thinking what am I talking about impact! The player couldn't defend and half the time refused to get past his man. Well before you start jumping to conclusions and stop reading this article, I ask you to read on and just see what Wigan Athletic and its fans owe a left footed player from a South American country called Chile.

So cast your minds back to the winter of 2011. Wigan Athletic were struggling, Roberto Martinez and his men were in disarray as we struggled to nail down results and it looked for all the world that the Premier League was finally going to get on top of us, by January we were the pundits favorites for the drop. So when the January transfer window came there was an almighty buzz that we were going to go for someone big.

Then no-one came, and still no-one came. Until we signed a Chilean international left sider called Jean Beasuejour who had been relegated the previous season with Birmingham City. Great that was just what we need! Little did any of us know that Beausejour would be the final piece in the jigsaw and see Roberto Martinez pull of one of the greatest tactical changes to the English Premier League in past few seasons.

Still think I am talking rubbish? Well what did Jean give Wigan the ability to do? Very simply change everything. Bringing in a player of his quality allowed us to switch to three at the back with two very fit marauding  wing-backs. Something that not even the Premier League's best could cope with.

After losing four games on the bounce prior to Jean's arrival, and the first gave of, we then got a draw against Everton. That would be the start of a series of results seeing us lose only three times in our last 15 games, away to Chelsea and forever bogey team Fulham; and a home defeat against Swansea.

Along the way we beat Arsenal and Liverpool at their own grounds and finally broke the Manchester United curse by beating them in one of the best games I have ever seen grace the pitch at the DW Stadium.

Jean had that knack of being able to pick the ball up and hit his man in the box. A sweet a left foot as I have seen, he wasn't the quickest and couldn't hit a barn door when he was shooting. One thing he did give you was a pair of legs that didn't stop and a left foot that could swing an almighty cross into the box.

Of course others upped their game, and the rise to prominence of a certain Shaun Maloney had a great deal to do with how well we finished that season. But Wigan Athletic will forever be in Jean Beasuejour's debt, because he gave us the chance to change things and defy the odds.

So thank you Jean and I hope a return home is what you want. Forever a Wiganer always a Wiganer. Why don't I leave you with Jean's best goal for this club a suburb screamer of a goal against Derby County! (the goal comes 40 seconds in)