‘Best in this league’: New-look former Portsmouth favourite lauded after injury nightmare
Former Pompey attacker Christian Saydee has made an instant impact for Wigan on his return from injury.
Gary Caldwell has lauded the instant impact of former Pompey favourite Christian Saydee after completing his much-anticipated injury return for Wigan Athletic.
And the Scot believes the fit-again 24-year-old has the potential to become ‘one of the best’ centre-forward’s in League One.
Having been sidelined for more than three months, the powerful operator returned to action on Saturday, coming on a substitute in a 1-0 win over Reading.
Indeed, the attacker made an instant impact off the bench just four minutes after his introduction when lead a break before setting up Scott Hogan for the only goal of the game and to crucially help the bottom-of-the-table Latics secure just their second win of the campaign.
Wigan Athletic boss backs new-look former Pompey favourite
Saydee was new-look figure in the Wigan ranks, according to Caldwell, who has been impressed by the forward’s fitness since his injury.
Speaking to Wigan Today, the Latics head coach said: ‘He's just a brilliant player. When he plays like that, with physicality and running power.
‘What we have to do is get Christian doing that more often. We don't want the odd 20 or 30 minute cameos, we need 90 minutes of that.
‘He's worked really hard on his fitness since the injury. He's got his weight down, he looks strong and he looks fit.
‘He's been training for two or three weeks now at that level, and we have almost been holding him back because we didn't want to throw him in too early.
‘But I felt like the way they locked on and went man for man in the second half, we didn't have an outlet, and he made for a fantastic focal point to play off and get us up the pitch.
‘And the goal was created by his physicality and running power down the line.’
Christian Saydee can become one of the best strikers in League One
Saydee was a hugely-influential figure in John Mousinho’s League One title-winning side, appearing 36 times as the Blues completed their Championship return.
Caldwell knows the physical dangers which the ex-Bournemouth man presents for opposition defences and has backed the former Pompey man to become ‘one of the best No.9s’ in the division.
‘When I first came back into the club, I remember the Luton game, he was outstanding for me. And I've told him that, with the quality he has, he can be one of the best No.9s in this league.
‘He has to get fitter, he has to get stronger, and he knows that. But when he's in this frame of mind, when he trains the way he's been training, that transfers out there on the pitch.
‘He's worked extremely hard in the gym with the physios when he's been injured, and he looks in as good a shape as I've seen him over the last few years.
‘Now he has to keep going, and keep working hard, because when he plays like that, he's very, very difficult for opposition teams to deal with.
‘When teams go man for man, it's vital we have that physicality to play off him, which enables us to play in different ways.
‘When we don't have that, we are almost forced into playing a certain way, and we almost pass our way into trouble. When he came on the game changed.’