Striker Ricardo Fuller cut off his plans to meet up with friend and running legend Usain Bolt to be available for Saturday’s FA Cup clash with Mansfield Town.
The former Stoke City man, who is close friends with the 100m and 200m world record holder, had planned to fly home this week but the manager needed him for Saturday’s FA Cup first round clash with the Stags.
Fuller said: “I was supposed to go to Jamaica this week and link up with him [Usain Bolt] because we are all a tight-knitted group. I’ve seen them in pictures enjoying themselves in Jamaica and I was supposed to go home for family reasons but the gaffer said he needed me for the game so I decided to stay.
"I’m looking forward to this game. The manager said this is the game I would get more run in and it’s a nice game to play in as well. It’s in the FA Cup and against a team in the lower division which we know it will be a battle which is good. Sometimes you have to do a bit more running in those games rather than quality.”
Although a division separates the two team, Fuller will not be taking the game lightly and believes it will be a tough test for his side.
“Every game is hard,” he admitted. "If you think any game is easy you’re not in the right mind. Also you know what can happen in the FA Cup.
“We are looking to getting a positive result from the game and that breeds confidence throughout the squad.”
If selected, there will be no concerns with Fuller’s fitness. “My fitness is way up now and I think the fans have seen that now and I’m feeling good,” he said.
Watch the full interview on Latics PlayerHD.