Wigan Athletic Football Club News

• Nickname:Latics
• Founded:1932
• Manager:Roberto Martinez

• Ground:JJB Stadium
• Capacity:25,000

Rodallega impresses Bruce

10 May 2009 - 17:07:59

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Wigan Athletic boss Steve Bruce praised Hugo Rodallega after the striker finally scored his first goal in English football.

The 23-year-old Colombia international broke his duck on his 12th appearance for the Latics, but could not prevent his side from slipping to a 3-1 defeat West Bromwich Albion.

Bruce told the club's official website: "I'm absolutely delighted with Hugo. Ideally I would have only just started to play him now, but our situation has been such that he's been needed a lot sooner.

"I wanted to give him time to adjust and settle into a new lifestyle, but instead he's been thrown in at the deep end which has been difficult for him.

"However, he's shown today that he's a really, really good player."

Bruce's day was further ruined by goalkeeper Chris Kirkland suffered a recurrence of a back injury, while on-loan striker Amr Zaki's season could be over.

He sustained a serious-looking knee injury and had to be stretchered off, with Bruce admitting: "With Amr it looks like one of those horrible cruciate ones, so we'll have to see with scans and X-rays over the next 24-48 hours."