Roberto Martinez claimed Wigan Athletic star would be a "real asset to English football" - he never hit the heights | OneFootball

Roberto Martinez lauded Callum McManaman back in 2013, but he fell short of what was expected of him

Callum McManaman had the world at his feet when he burst onto the Wigan Athletic scene over a decade ago, but his career never truly reached the heights many predicted it would.

That includes Roberto Martinez, who hinted that McManaman had the potential to be a future international, but he lost his way a little in his career amid a couple of unsuccessful moves.

Ultimately, after all those failed moves, McManaman ended up back at the one place he's been able to truly call home in his career - Wigan - and he's still turning in impressive performances at the age of 33.

That makes it all the more surprising that his moves away from the club never really worked out, but for some players, it just works at one specific club, and for McManaman, that's Wigan.

Most Latics fans would tell you he's a modern-day great, but they'll also speak of their disappointment not to see him go on and achieve great things in football, although that failure to do so set him up for a second spell with the club.

Speaking back in 2013, Martinez, who was Wigan's manager at the time, was highly complimentary of McManaman, who had just scored a goal against Millwall in the FA Cup semi-final.

Wigan went on to lift the prestigious trophy back in 2013 and he played a huge part in that run, setting up their winner in the fourth round, before scoring in the fifth round, quarter-finals and semi-finals.

Martinez could see at that point that McManaman had huge talent, and back in 2013, the Belgian boss couldn't speak highly enough of the winger.

He said: "'Give him a football and he is the happiest boy on earth.

"He is an exciting player. He knows how to score goals, which is something you can't really teach.

"He has already played in a World Cup for England at Under-20 level and he is going to be a real asset for English football."

Martinez's claims certainly weren't wrong at that time, it was widely touted that McManaman, who was playing regularly in the Premier League back then at the age of just 21, would be in line for an England call-up if his form continued.

McManaman's career went downhill after Wigan's relegation

Looking back with hindsight in mind, if McManaman was to leave Wigan, then doing so after relegation when he was at the height of his career and an FA Cup winner probably would've been the time to do so.

Instead, he admirably decided to stay with Wigan in an attempt to get them back into the Premier League, but when that quest was unsuccessful in two successive seasons, he was cherry-picked by West Brom for almost £5m, with the Baggies playing in the top-flight at the time.

That move never really worked out though, with McManaman playing just 25 times for Albion. For context, he's made more career appearances for Wigan's U21s team, which shows how hard football was to come by.

The Championship moves that followed to Luton Town, Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday and Blackpool were equally unsuccessful, which almost feels like a waste of a career given what could've been back in 2013.

Wigan are at least reaping the rewards of his return to the club as, despite being injured of late, before that he was a first-team regular.

Latics' gain is definitely McManaman's loss though, as he surely reminisces on what could've been had his career worked out differently.