Latics 'keeper looking forward to fifth season at Latics
Chris Kirkland is gearing-up for his fifth season at Wigan Athletic, as happy now as he was in his first and hoping to move Latics further and further up the table.
Since joining in 2006 'Kirky' has notched-up 127 league appearances and been a pivotal part of the Club's successes in the Premier League, but he knows that the team can't take anything for granted to make sure they continue to rub shoulders with the best in the world;
"To be going into my fifth season is great, I've felt good ever since I arrived," said Kirkland.
"The club took a big gamble on me in the beginning, to which I owe a lot of thanks to Paul Jewell and of course the Chairman who wanted me here.
"The main thing for me is that I've been able to play regular football which is what you want as a footballer.
"I only live 20 minutes away from the training ground and I look forward to coming into work every single day, something I intend to carry on doing for many years."
But the hard-work to remain in the best league in the world never stops, as Kirkland explained;
"This will be the club's sixth year in the top-flight, and to be a part of it all playing alongside and competing with some of the best teams in Europe is a great feeling.
"But just because we've managed to stay here doesn't mean we're bedded in now, we've seen in the past that any team can go down and we've just got to make sure we get off to a good start come August.
"Hopefully the gaffer can bring in the right players to replace the ones we've lost so far, and that's the way it is for nearly every club nowadays, you change your team every season and you have to grow as a group very quickly to achieve your goals.
"If we can get that good start which is vital then hopefully it'll set us up for a good season."
After a rollercoaster 2009/10 campaign, Kirkland is expecting an even tougher test this season, as squads change and the pressure mounts;
"We've lost one or two players already, those who are coming to the end of their contracts and between now and the start of the new season you can never predict what will happen next.
"Every season is more difficult than the last and it'll be no different this time round.
"The teams who have come up are looking strong, especially Newcastle and West Brom, and I think, with respect, they're better than the teams who went the other way.
"Newcastle for example are going to be playing in-front of a 50,000-strong crowd at home, which will be a massive test for any team going up there."
Looking to the future Kirkland hopes the team can continue progressing to further cement themselves in the Premier League and establish a higher position in the table;
"The manager's a very ambitious man and so are the players. We don't want to be just scrapping for survival each year, we want to progress but it's a slow-process.
"To build it up and get to that position takes time. We managed to get around that point in the table under Steve Bruce and it was a great feeling and that's what we've got to aim for. Hopefully if the gaffer continues to bring in the right players it'll set us on our way."
