Sunday 18 November 2012 11:34, UK
Roberto Martinez believes he was right to reject overtures from Liverpool in the summer to stay at Wigan.
Martinez paid tribute to Whelan for supporting his long-term vision for the club and feels he needed to pay back the chairman's loyalty. "I had the opportunity to pay the chairman's loyalty back in the summer," Martinez added. "I spoke to a couple of clubs that have been documented - I also spoke with another three - but the moment the chairman told me he wanted to take Wigan Athletic to the next level, in terms of the infrastructure, the new training ground and keeping hold of certain players... well he's a very persuasive man. "It was the right moment for us both to try and take the club to that next level, and everything was conducted in a very open way. "Perhaps it was a little too open, but once the chairman had taken a week or two to think about things, he was as excited as I've ever seen him. "He wanted to do everything we'd spoken about, and clearly he didn't want me to leave. "The chairman is a very special man - the support he has shown me has been quite unique. "From my point of view, I needed to recognise that and pay some of it back. "It just wasn't the right time for me to leave Wigan for a multitude of reasons."
