Steve Bruce has reasons to thank the Latics

Nov 28 2009 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

STEVE Bruce will forever be grateful to Wigan Athletic for twice restoring his appetite for the game, but Sunderland’s manager admits it was only by leaving the Latics that he has been able to build a squad without having to worry about breaking it up.

This afternoon Bruce will be back at the renamed DW Stadium for the first time since joining the Black Cats. And despite taking the chairman’s blame for Wigan’s 9-1 defeat last week, he will do so with fond memories.

Bruce had two spells at the Lancashire club, the first early in his managerial career, the second from 2007-2009 when they were on the verge of Europa League qualification, only for his best players to be moved on.

“The first time I went there I was seriously thinking I didn’t want to stay in management after what happened in Huddersfield and Sheffield (United, his previous clubs),” Bruce reflected. “So when I got the knock on the door from (Wigan general manager) John Benson I thought, ‘Why not?’ That was the vital time because after I got the sack at Huddersfield I thought, ‘Do I really want this?’

“It wasn’t easy under (owner) Barry Ruberry at Huddersfield. We were top of the league with 12 games to go and you sell your centre-forward to Ipswich. If it wasn’t as it was written in the brochure (when I joined), I found it very difficult. I didn’t know if management was for me.

“When I got the sack I became reclusive for the first time ever in my life. I just hid away. My house was getting done up at the time and I became a labourer and that kept me a bit sane. I did question if I wanted to do this anymore, then Wigan knocked on the door. They did me a favour twice – big time!

“They (the builders) were knocking my house to bits so I used to get the pie and chips – and eat them! I used to just make the tea and labour, and that saved me 50 quid a day! But I didn’t want to go to a game in case somebody thought I was after their job.

“It was the first time ever I thought I might walk away from football.