How Callum Lang played a key role in Christian Saydee swapping Portsmouth for Wigan Athletic..
Wigan Athletic have Callum Lang to thank for Christian Saydee choosing to join Wigan Athletic for Portsmouth.
The 23-year-old striker became Ryan Lowe’s second summer signing on a three-year deal, following Fraser Murray’s arrival from Kilmarnock earlier this month.
Callum Lang and Christian Saydee celebrate a Portsmouth goal last season
Callum Lang and Christian Saydee celebrate a Portsmouth goal last season
Wigan Athletic immediately set sights on more following Christian Saydee capture…
And his decision was aided by a glowing reference from ex-Latics favourite Lang, who joined Saidee at Fratton Park 18 months ago.
The duo helped Pompey to win promotion from League One and then consolidate in the Championship, but the time has come for Saydee to make the return journey from the south coast to the north west.
“As soon as Langy found out, he called me straight away,” revealed Saydee. “We had a conversation, he was pushing me to come here…’get up there, get up there’…
“For Langy to have come out with such good words about the club, it meant a lot.”
Lang didn’t take long in claiming Saydee has made a ‘good choice’ in joining Latics.
Taking to social media, he posted: “Going to miss you, my mate. Go and smash it! Good choice, though!”
Lang is not the only Portsmouth figure to acknowledge the huge gap Saydee – a larger-than-life figure on and off the pitch – will leave at the club.
Blues boss John Mousinho said: “Christian was a popular member of our squad and I know he’ll be missed by staff, players and supporters alike.
“He’s made some important contributions during the past two seasons and was someone we loved having at Fratton Park.
“But he hopefully now has the chance to get some more regular minutes and we didn’t want to stand in the way of that.
“We thank him for everything he did in a Pompey shirt and wish him nothing but the best for the next stage of his career.”
Saydee came through the ranks at Bournemouth, for whom he made six appearances in all competitions.
After loan spells at Poole, Weymouth, Burton Albion and Shrewsbury Town, he joined Portsmouth on a permanent basis in 2023 to Portsmouth.
He made 73 appearances for Pompey, and scored seven goals – the last of which came against Hull City on the final day of the campaign.
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