Knight tips returning O'Brien to shine (From Leigh Journal)

Knight tips returning O'Brien to shine

8:50am Saturday 13th March 2010 in

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ZAT Knight has backed Andy O’Brien to make the most of his rare first-team appearance alongside him in the back four this afternoon.

The experienced centre halves will be hoping to shut out Wigan at the Reebok, paired together in the absence of the injured Gary Cahill and suspended Sam Ricketts.

It is set to be only O’Brien’s fifth Premier League start of the season, his last coming against Fulham in February.

But Knight believes the former Republic of Ireland international will seize his opportunity.

“It’s been frustrating for him this season,” he said.

“The last league game he came in, he went off with cramp, and he’s been out of the team since then. But he has been doing brilliantly in training and, hopefully, he can keep it sharp.”

With Ricketts injured and Cahil still at least seven days from a first-team return, Knight envisages a real fight for defensive spots in the next couple of weeks.

And he thinks O’Brien can do his own cause no harm by helping Wanderers to a much-needed three points against their local rivals.

“If he plays well against Wigan, he can stay there,” he said.

“You have got Sam (Ricketts) itching to get back in, and Gaz (Cahill) to come back.

“I’m looking forward to playing with him again — I’ve played with all three centre halves at the club — and any one of us can come in and do a job for the team.

“There’s a lot of competition for places but that’s healthy. Sometimes, when it isn’t there, you play week-in, week-out and you don’t stay on your toes.

“That’s what motivates me, knowing that if I don’t stay at my best there is someone else waiting behind me to take my place in the team.”

Wigan arrive at the Reebok having beaten Liverpool in midweek by a single Hugo Rodallega goal.

And while Knight knows he will have to keep a keen eye on the Colombia international, he believes Wanderers have enough about them to make sure they do not go the same way as Rafa Benitez’s Reds.

“We know they are going to be on a high after they beat Liverpool but we have to win our home games, that’s one of the ways we can get out of this,” he said.

“Rodallega played wide left against us at the DW Stadium and didn’t do too badly. He’s a decent player.

“But I think if everyone is on the ball, we are the better team. We have the better players — but it’s up to us to get to that level that we know we should be getting to.”