Martinez impressed with Moses

Martinez impressed with Moses

Published Mar. 6, 2010 7:10 a.m. ET

Moses arrived at the DW Stadium at the end of the winter transfer window and has made four appearances as a substitute since. The 19-year-old - who recently earned his first call-up to England's Under-21 squad - particularly caught the eye after coming on at half-time against Birmingham last weekend and could be in line for his first start when the Latics host Liverpool on Monday night. Martinez remains wary of playing Moses too much too soon, but acknowledged the former Crystal Palace forward is making swift progress. "He feels that he has always been playing at this level," Martinez said. "He is full of enthusiasm and has huge belief in his talent and that gives you a great option going forward. "I have always said that we need to be patient in terms of giving him the right time and moment to feel himself. But every day he grows and matures and it shows. "Every time he has been on the pitch he has shown something different. I felt when he came on against Birmingham, he had a real impact. "He showed the influence he can have on the game and that's a great sign for a young player adapting to the Premier League. "The quality he has got is going to be a huge strength for ourselves." Having been brought off the bench earlier with every appearance, it seems only a matter of time before Moses forces his way into the Latics first XI, although Martinez refused to be drawn on his plans for Monday night. Asked whether he was about to hand the youngster his first start against Liverpool, Martinez said: "Football will make that decision. "At the moment it is important that he keeps working as hard as he has been doing on a daily basis and it's not about starting or not. "It's about when he is on the pitch - that he is himself and that he can affect the game, and slowly that will develop him into the player we all know he is going to be. "But it's not about whether Victor starts or not, it's about Victor being ready whenever he is on the pitch and being able to enjoy his football. "He has been doing that since he arrived, so I am extremely pleased with that." Whether it is from a starting berth or not, Martinez will be hoping Moses can soon find his first goal for the club. Goalscoring has become a major issue for Wigan of late, with the team netting only three times in a winless run of seven league games, but Martinez insists he is not overly concerned. He said: "I think everything is coming together and it's just about getting that little bit of confidence and excitement in the last third. "But we can use the quality that we have got in the squad to make sure that we finish teams off. "I think we are creating good chances, we are getting good opportunities and probably that final pass, that little bit of confidence that you need to win football games is what we have been missing of late. "Once you get that first result the confidence comes back in and allows you be yourself and express your football. "We all know that the quality in the squad is quite clear. I think we have a very good group and it's a case of getting that confidence and making sure we get our rewards."

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