Al Habsi proud to be taking Wigan to Oman

Wigan Athletic goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi is excited about taking his teammates to Oman.

Latics will jet out to Al Habsi’s homeland immediately after Saturday’s trip to Bolton, taking advantage of having no fixture the following weekend to get in some warm-weather training.

“I am so happy and proud about the prospect of going home with Wigan Athletic,” he told the Wigan Evening Post.

“It will be the first time a team from England has visited Oman, which will be something special for me and for my country.

“I am the only player from the region to be playing in the Premier League, and that means Wigan Athletic are a very popular team in Oman.

“It will be slightly strange when Wigan play against Oman - I might have to have a chat with the gaffer because I wouldn’t want to play against either of my teams!

“But I’m sure the team will like everything about my country - the people, the weather, the facilities - and hopefully it will help us when we return to the Premier League.

“It’s probably the best time to go to Oman, because the temperature is around 20-25 degrees.

“With the way the weather has been over over the past week or so, it will be nice to feel a bit of sun on our backs and get down to some good training.”