Blues keeper Bartosz Bialkowski has revealed he was "angry and disappointed" that a move to tonight’s opponents Wigan Athletic broke down early in his career.

Bialkowski, who was 18 at the time, had left Górnik Zabrze in his home country and was looking to move into English football when he spent time with the Latics, then a Premier League club managed by Paul Jewell, and impressed.

“It was 2005 and I had just left my Polish team — my contract had finished in June — and I went to Wigan on a seven-day trial in July,” Bialkowski, now 29, recalled.

“After the trial I went back home. I think they wanted me but there were agents’ fees involved and they weren’t prepared to pay for that.

“I was very disappointed and really angry at the time. At the time I was considered one of the biggest talents in Poland and everyone was talking about me.

“I ended up sitting at home for four or five months doing nothing. But fortunately I managed to cancel my contract with my agents. I went back to my old agent and we moved on.”

Bialkowski subsequently joined SPL side Hearts on trial in the October where former Blues boss George Burley was manager and where the Pole first linked up with current Town keeper-coach Malcolm Webster.

A move to the Edinburgh club never materialised with Burley and Webster departing Tynecastle within days of Bialkowski’s arrival.

But two months after leaving Hearts Burley was appointed Southampton manager with Webster again on his staff and in January 2006 Bialkowski became one of their first signings.

"After five and a half years with the Saints the former Polish U21 international moved on to Notts County in 2012 and then the Blues two years later.

Photo: TWTD

King_of_Portman_Rd added 09:54 - Apr 4 Small world that he has been with 4 British clubs and 3 of those were due to former (or at the time, future) Ipswich managers who signed him.
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oldbri added 10:12 - Apr 4 and what a fantastic signing that was.
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hoppy added 10:35 - Apr 4 And hopefully a long and happy future here at Town...
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martin587 added 10:53 - Apr 4 What a blessing we signed him then.Best keeper in this division by far.👍
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dirtydingusmagee added 10:58 - Apr 4 our best player by a country mile .
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muhrensleftfoot added 11:32 - Apr 4 Yes the best keeper in the championship, but true to form, it took Mick McCarthy around 12 months to realise he was first choice ahead of Gerkin, even though us fans, who know nothing, already knew this.
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MattinLondon added 11:59 - Apr 4 In my opinion Bart has been Player of the Season as he has been far more consistent than Tom Lawrence. Without Bart we would easily be in the bottom three.
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PackwoodBlue added 12:06 - Apr 4 Without him we would certainly be bottom three right now.
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woohoo added 13:39 - Apr 4 All power to The Bartman.
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mickeyjb added 15:42 - Apr 4 I'm not sure what he has to do to get in the polish squad. Are there three better polish keepers out there??
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Campag_Velocet added 16:20 - Apr 4 Afraid so, mickeyjb. Poland are ridiculously blessed with great keepers at the moment. Fabianski and Boruc are Premier League regulars, Szczesny and Skorupski both play in Serie A, and Tyton plays in La Liga, and that's before you look at capped goalies in the Polish league such as Sandomierski. As great as Bart is, he's not going to get a look in while he's in the Championship.

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woohoo added 17:48 - Apr 4 Being selfish, I'm very happy for Bart to concentrate on his Town duties and not play for his country at present. But do fear that we will lose him at the end of the season.
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therein61 added 18:14 - Apr 4 Been our most consistent performer for ages now, I think his attitude is fantastic considering the way he was treated by our great leader when he had the cheek to miss a game when his dad died!!! many players in that situation would have said that's me done I'm off or taken the so called manager round the back of the north stand for a bit of goal kicking practice.
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Michael11 added 13:43 - Apr 6 Best Mick McCarthy signing for me. He and McGoldrick are the only senior players I'd be very disappointed to see leave the club.
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