"It's been great to get back into the side and I feel that my partnership with Jimmy Bullard is getting better and better. We are both young but we are learning all the time and I think we compliment each other in the way that we play. The step up has taken a little bit of adjusting to but I think we've established ourselves now and feel that we belong at this level.
"I've improved no end since I joined the club from Bury and that's down to the players I'm playing with and the staff here at the JJB. At Bury I was a different type of player really and to be honest I didn't feel I was playing that well when the Gaffer here came in for me. He obviously saw something in me that he liked though and I was delighted to come here although I have to admit that leaving my home town club was a wrench.
"I still look out for Bury's results and I have plenty of friends still at the club. Andy Preece has gone now but he was a big influence on me and I'll always be grateful for the chance he gave me at Gigg Lane. I enjoyed my time there but to develop my game and improve, it was probably the right time to leave. Certainly I couldn't ever have imagined the success that we would have here when I arrived, but it has been great to be part of such a success story.
"I want to play at the highest level I possibly can and hopefully that will be with Wigan Athletic. We've had a few games against Premiership teams and what we'd all like now is to come up against that standard of player every week. Can you imagine playing on the same stage as the likes of Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira - that would be amazing wouldn't it?
"Playing wise I've always had the ability to get around the pitch but I think I'm steadily becoming a better footballer now. My passing's a lot better and I know my role more thoroughly than in the past and that comes from the advise that the coaching staff have given me and also thinking more about my game.
"I also think I'm learning to use my strength now as I suppose I'm quite powerfully built and in the heart of midfield it gives you an advantage if you can put yourself about a bit physically. It's about being competitive more than anything and I feel that's what Jimmy and I are.
"He's probably a better football than me and although I can't claim to do ALL his running (!), I think the way I play helps him utilise his skills fully and that's why we seem to be building a decent partnership.
"What we all want to do now though is progress and develop still further and try and finish this season as high as we possibly can. I think we were all confident we could compete at this level though perhaps we have been surprised about how high we are up the table. However, now we are in this position we are desperate not to waste it and we will be pulling out all the stops between now and May to claim the best finishing psotion we possibly can."
Quote's courtesy of wiganathletic.tv