Manager Steve Bruce hails survival with Wigan as his best accomplishment

Latics finally sealed their place in the Barclays Premier League next season with a brilliant 2-0 win at Aston Villa, with Antonio Valencia getting both goals in the second half.

In the post match press conference, Bruce thought the performance was as good as any.

The gaffer told the media, "Arguably we have left our best performance to a big stage like this and after we played like we did today, we deserve to be in the Premier League next year. We have put on a really good performance.

"But we have done that at Chelsea and at Liverpool, and this is a wonderful result for us."

Valencia had only scored once this season before the trip to Villa Park, but Bruce maintained he is always a dangerous player even if he does not get on the score sheet.

The gaffer continued, "He is always a threat because he is one of those players who can go and dribble past somebody and he has great pace."

The result was the tenth clean since Bruce's arrival at the club, and the manager praised the squad for tightening up the defence.

Bruce said, "Defensively we have been difficult to beat again and the mentality has been fantastic. We were averaging two goals a game in December and that had to change because we could not win every game by three goals.

"Paul Scharner has been terrific since we moved him to centre half and Emmerson Boyce has had a really good second half of the season But to have picked up 31 points since December is tremendous and all the lads deserve a pat on the back."

The Latics boss also admitted that keeping the club in the top flight was the biggest achievement of his ten-year managerial career.

"I think this is arguably the best thing I have ever done because when I arrived we were down there with Derby with only nine points. I am glad I have repaid the faith the chairman placed in me."

Wigan World subscribers can watch the whole of the post match interview with Steve Bruce on Wigan World.