Wigan Athletic got more from Ali Al-Habsi than Bolton Wanderers

Over the years, the Premier League has seen plenty of players from all over the world make moves to England to compete in what is considered to be the biggest league on the planet.

Since its inception in 1992, the growth of the league has seen it become an increasingly global phenomenon, with remarkable amounts of money available for clubs to invest in their squads.

That ability to scout and recruit in such a way, has allowed teams to expand the horizons of both themselves and the league considerably.

As a result, there have been many countries across the world who have had trailblazers as the first from their nations to play in the Premier League.

One such player who managed to make that history for his country in the top-flight of English football, was Ali Al-Habsi.

Bolton Wanderers helped Ali Al-Habsi make history

Back in January 2006, Bolton completed the signing of Ali Al-Habsi, with the goalkeeper joining from Norwegian side Lyn.

At the time, the Trotters were still in the top-flight of English football, meaning that by making his there, Al-Habsi became the first ever Omani player to compete in the Premier League.

Ultimately though, with Jussi Jaaskelainen firmly established as first choice at the Reebok Stadium in that period, chances were few and far between for Al-Habsi.

It was not until the 2007/08 season that the goalkeeper actually made his debut for Bolton, when he enjoyed an impressive run in the side while Jaaskelainen was out through injury.

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However, once the Finn returned to fitness, Al-Habsi found himself back on the bench, and by the end of the 2009-10 season, the goalkeeper had made just 18 appearances in four-and-a-half seasons.

As a result, he was allowed to leave Bolton in the summer of 2010, in a move that would ultimately end up working out well for the club’s big rivals.

Wigan Athletic benefitted from Ali Al-Habsi

In July 2010, it was announced that Al-Habsi had joined Bolton’s local rivals, Wigan Athletic, on a season-long loan.

It was there that the goalkeeper was finally able to really show just what he could do in the Premier League on a consistent basis.

During his loan spell with the Latics during the 2010-11 campaign, Al-Habsi made 39 appearances in all competitions for the club, helping them to a 16th place finish in the Premier League.

The goalkeeper impressed consistently, being named the club’s Player of the Year, and as a result, in the summer of 2011, Wigan paid Bolton a reported £4million to make his move permanent.

It was a decision that was vindicated for the Latics, with Al-Habsi an ever-present in the Premier League the following campaign, again helping Wigan to survival with a 15th place finish.

The Oman international also developed a reputation for himself as a penalty saver, keeping out spot kicks from several high-profile players.

Indeed, his form even saw him linked with some of the division’s top clubs, such as Liverpool and Arsenal, further highlighting his level of performance.

However, the arrival of Joel Robles during the 2012-13 season meant that Al-Habsi’s grip on a starting spot for Wigan began to slip during that campaign.

As a result, he would miss out on a place in the side for perhaps the most memorable game in the club’s recent history, the 1-0 win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

Even so, having kept a clean sheet in a 2-0 win over Millwall in the semi-final, Al-Habsi still ensured he played a vital role in his side’s success that season.

With Wigan suffering relegation from the Premier League to the Championship just days after they had won the FA Cup, Al-Habsi would become a less regular feature in the second-tier.

Over the next two years, the Oman international found himself battling with Scott Carson for the number one spot at The DW Stadium.

As a result, Al-Habsi would be released by Wigan in the summer of 2015 in the wake of the expiration of his contract, and their relegation to League One.

By that point, though, the goalkeeper had made 150 appearances in all competitions for the club, making some significant contributions to their success of the period.

With that in mind, there can be no denying that while Bolton did not exactly get a huge amount from Al-Habsi themselves, Wigan most certainly did.

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