Source: Eurosport
Whelan backing Wigan's Euro vision
Wigan chairman Dave Whelan is ready to back Steve Bruce in the transfer market should he qualify the club for European football.Latics are handily placed in seventh to win a spot in next season's revamped Europa League, but Bruce has already stated his belief that his current squad does not have enough depth to compete both domestically and abroad.Whelan admits seeing Wigan in Europe was one of his dreams upon taking over the North West outfit and should his ambition be realised, his chequebook will be opened in the summer."European football will be an expensive business but if we can get there we have to fight to raise the money - which I will do - and we have to compete," he said."There is another eight matches and we need another 14 points and we are in with a very good chance of finishing in Europe."Whelan criticised the likes of Aston Villa and Tottenham who this season sent out weakened sides in the UEFA Cup as they were concentrating on their Premier League positions."If we are going into Europe we want to go in to win it. We have got clubs going into it at present who are thinking it's a nuisance."I understand the Premier League is the most important league of all but if you are lucky enough to qualify for Europe then you have to give it your best shot."I will work with Steve to ensure Wigan go as far in that competition as we possibly can."He added: "When I first bought the club at the old Springfield Park we used to get attendances of 1,500 and I expressed an ambition to get Wigan into the Premier League then."People laughed but here we are looking forward to our fifth top-flight season next year."That is unheard of for Wigan. Another ambition I expressed was to get Wigan into Europe."Blackburn and Bolton have done it but they are bigger clubs, as both are founder members of the Football League."Wigan has only been in the league for 31 years and so to come this far in that time is absolutely phenomenal."It would fulfil one of my ambitions if we were to get into Europe."[LNB]
