INSIDE THE EFL: Meet the Wigan wonderkid that Premier League golf equipment are raving about as Man United and Arsenal circle, how Frank Lampard silenced his critics and a magic man charging up League Two

When Sam Tickle reported for England Below 21s obligation for the primary time in September 2023, it capped a exceptional 5 years for the goalkeeper.

Again in 2018, Tickle, who had been in Wigan’s academy for the reason that age of 10, didn’t earn a scholarship deal on the membership as a result of he was deemed too small.

Now, Tickle, who joined Pilkington within the Cheshire Soccer League earlier than rejoining Wigan 12 months later, was strolling right into a dressing room that included the likes of Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, Harvey Elliott and James Trafford.

‘It was loopy,’ Tickle, who turned the primary homegrown Wigan teen since Leighton Baines in 2006 to be referred to as up by England, tells Mail Sport.

‘The primary time you go in you assume “what am I doing right here, what’s going on right here?” The coaching commonplace was a joke.

‘Once I acquired referred to as up, (Wigan team-mate) Scott Smith mentioned “have you ever heard something from England?”, and I used to be like “shut up mate, that gained’t occur”.

‘I went out to coach and once I got here again I had a textual content about it and I assumed “nah, anyone’s winding me up right here”, after which they confirmed it. It was a little bit of a mad one.

‘It was unusual as a result of I used to be the one participant from League One, however the lads have been nice.’

Regardless of the shock nature of the call-up for Tickle, it was simply one other step on the journey of what has been a powerful few years for the 22-year-old, who was on mortgage at seventh-tier Warrington Rylands simply months earlier than his first England expertise.

He made his league debut for Wigan on the ultimate day of the 2022-23 marketing campaign, and since then Tickle has performed 75 league video games on the trot and firmly established himself as among the best younger keepers within the EFL, racking up 27 clear sheets.

Membership sources inform Mail Sport there’s a widespread view amongst employees that Tickle is the perfect academy graduate Wigan have ever produced – even surpassing 30-time England worldwide Baines – whereas his shot-stopping is hailed as Premier League commonplace.

Tickle has an impressive save proportion of 77 per cent in League One this season and he’s outperforming his Anticipated Targets Towards – a determine which measures how probably a shot is to go in in comparison with comparable earlier situations – for the second successive marketing campaign.

All through our dialog, Tickle’s humble and mature character shines by means of, and alongside together with his shot-stopping, it’s this that makes him stand out from different keepers, with sources effusive of their reward for the 22-year-old.

‘Being launched and becoming a member of Pilkington was in all probability the perfect factor that might have occurred to me,’ Tickle provides.

‘Getting thrown into the deep finish with huge items simply smacking me in every single place and going right into a males’s altering room, that basically helped me.’

Tickle, who was 5ft 7in on the time of his launch, returned to the membership 12 months later standing 6ft tall – and his progress is testomony to Wigan and their boss Shaun Maloney.

For not solely has the previous Latics midfielder helped stability return to a membership that suffered important monetary difficulties in 2023, however he has additionally overseen a gifted crop of homegrown children.

Alongside Tickle, Thelo Aasgaard and Charlie Hughes shone earlier than being offered for hefty charges in latest instances.

Elsewhere, Wigan’s squad consists of academy graduates like Harry McHugh, Jensen Weir, Baba Adeeko and James Carragher, son of Jamie.

‘The gaffer has been a lot assist,’ Tickle says. ‘Each few video games he’d pull me in to see how I used to be and I keep in mind him earlier than the primary sport saying “I don’t care what number of errors you make, you are taking part in subsequent week”.’

The excessive watermark of Tickle’s profession got here in March when the now-6ft 2in stopper made his England Below 21s debut in a 7-0 victory towards Luxembourg.

‘It was loopy as a result of I did not assume I used to be going to play however Traff (James Trafford) acquired referred to as up by the seniors,’ he says.

‘The morning earlier than the sport I acquired instructed I used to be taking part in, so I used to be buzzing. However the match was at Bolton (Wigan’s rivals) so each time I touched the ball I acquired booed.

‘After 20 minutes I don’t assume I had touched it after which Harvey Elliott booted one again from the midway line so I used to be completely ecstatic as a result of I assumed I wasn’t going to get a contact.’

Tickle’s exploits haven’t gone unnoticed, with Birmingham, Sunderland, Preston and Everton among the many golf equipment touted with an curiosity, whereas some studies have claimed Man United and Arsenal are eyeing up a transfer.

However for Tickle, who signed a brand new four-year deal final summer time amid the hypothesis, the noise is simply half and parcel of the sport.

‘It’s good to see your title linked but it surely doesn’t influence me,’ he says. ‘So long as I get to play soccer, I am blissful.

‘I am residing the dream and all I wished to do was to come back by means of at Wigan and play for Wigan.

‘I’m a Man United fan however I’ve been on the membership so lengthy that I’m a Wigan fan now.’

This weekend, consideration for Tickle turns to the FA Cup fourth spherical when his facet tackle Fulham.

Wigan know greater than most what the magic of the cup means following some memorable days in latest instances.

In 2013, Maloney put within the cross for Ben Watson’s header that noticed Wigan shock Man Metropolis to win the FA Cup, whereas the Latics additionally beat Pep Guardiola’s facet within the fifth spherical in 2018.

‘I went (to the 2013 remaining),’ Tickle says. ‘The membership placed on coaches for the entire academy so all of us went down along with our households.

‘It was unbelievable. We have been proper behind the place Ben Watson scored.’

Final yr, Wigan have been pitted towards Man United within the third spherical, with the Purple Devils profitable 2-0, but it was nonetheless an unforgettable expertise for Tickle.

‘It was unbelievable,’ he remembers. ‘I keep in mind within the canteen, we had the draw on the TV and all of us went mad.

‘I acquired (Andre) Onana’s shirt and I spoke to Tom Heaton for a bit so it was an important day, particularly for me and my dad as a result of he’s a United fan as effectively.’

This weekend guarantees to be a problem, with Fulham ninth within the Premier League and Marco Silva eager so as to add a home trophy to his reign at Craven Cottage.

So, can Wigan and Tickle conjure up some extra cup magic?

‘Will probably be a troublesome ask,’ he says. ‘However it will likely be an awesome event for the city and everybody.

‘We are able to use it as a possibility to point out how good we’re. The particular factor in regards to the FA Cup, particularly with Wigan, is Wigan is aware of how a lot it means when it comes to that historical past.

‘So, yeah, why not, there’s at all times an opportunity.’

Burnley’s record-breaking defence 

Burnley’s relegation from the Premier League final season underneath Vincent Kompany was characterised by a leaky and error-strewn defence as they shipped 78 targets at a price of greater than two-per sport.

However, lower than 9 months on and the transformation couldn’t be extra stark, with Tuesday’s 1-0 victory over Oxford which means the Clarets have conceded a exceptional 9 targets in 31 matches.

Scott Parker’s facet haven’t conceded a league purpose for 820 minutes, the longest run of their historical past, whereas highly-rated keeper James Trafford’s 22 clear sheets is already a membership report for a single marketing campaign.

In reality, the England Below 21 stopper is on an astonishing run of 9 shut-outs in a row and Burnley are on the right track to beat Chelsea’s report of conceding simply 15 within the 2004-05 season – a workforce Parker was part of – though that got here throughout 38 slightly than 46 video games.

The one adverse is that their 0-0 draw with Portsmouth on the weekend was Burnley’s tenth stalemate of the season, so maybe Turf Moor shouldn’t be the place to go to in the event you’re in search of leisure.

Frank’s discovering his approach 

There was plenty of dialogue in regards to the managerial report of England’s Golden Technology over the previous week after Steven Gerrard left Saudi Professional League facet Al-Ettifaq following an underwhelming 18 months in cost.

In latest days, Wayne Rooney additionally outlined his need to offer teaching one other go regardless of a tough spell with Plymouth, with the Man United icon but to impress throughout 4 roles.

One man who’s proving the doubters improper nonetheless is Frank Lampard, and Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Swansea was Coventry’s fourth win on the trot.

Regardless of final evening’s defeat by Leeds, the Sky Blues are simply three factors off the play-offs having been two away from the drop when the previous Chelsea and Everton boss arrived in November to a lot scepticism.

Holloway nonetheless working his magic 

When Ian Holloway returned to administration with Swindon in October following a four-year break from the sport, the charismatic 61-year-old couldn’t have chosen a a lot harder job given the myriad of off-field issues going through the League Two membership.

The primary few months didn’t go effectively, with Holloway choosing up simply 5 factors in his first seven league video games, whereas the previous Blackpool boss even clashed with a fan after a defeat by Bradford Metropolis and put their poor run right down to the coaching floor being ‘haunted’.

You’ll have been forgiven for pondering this was proof that Holloway’s time within the sport was coming to an finish, with the Robins teetering on the point of the relegation zone.

But a exceptional upturn that has seen Swindon win 4 video games on the spin – together with a surprising 5-1 victory at Carlisle final Saturday – firmly reveals that Holloway can nonetheless work his magic within the EFL.