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We're a far better team than the league table suggests, says Ryan Taylor

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Wigan and former England Under-21 defender Ryan Taylor talks exclusively to Betfair about the impact Steve Bruce has made and his own injury nightmare

Wigan's 5-3 win over Blackburn was the result of last weekend so we asked former England Under 21 defender Ryan Taylor about the mood at the JJB now Steve Bruce is settling in

What difference has last week's win made to you all?

It was maybe a bit of a flukey final scoreline, but I think anyone at the game that watched it would have said we were the better team, and I think it was just what we needed. We'd been on a bad run that had got to 14 matches without a win, and to end that has just lifted the whole place. Everybody has got a buzz, and now we are looking forward to Saturday and going to Fulham knowing we can also beat them at their own ground.

After that we've got home games with Newcastle and Aston Villa, and the aim is to go into January when we play Liverpool away with some points picked up and out of the bottom three. If we can do that I'll think we'll be relatively happy

Has the new manager made a difference?

He certainly has for me, because he's got me involved again, but it's more than that because he and Eric Black have changed the whole atmosphere of the club. They are good people to work for. They have put a smile on everybody's face and got us believing that we are a good team, that we can beat other teams, and even in the middle of a bad run he's helping get the lads together and getting the confidence back in the squad.

The Blackburn game was only your second start of the year...

I've had terrible trouble with different injuries, and it was fantastic to be playing. I was absolutely buzzing, and I felt like a young kid again. It was so weird, it was like I was making another debut. I played against Tottenham away a few weeks ago, but to start at home again was a nice touch, and especially to win like that. Ever since the turn of the year in 2006 I've had an absolute nightmare. It started when I broke a metatarsal. I did that in January, I came back in April and I broke both tibia and fibia, and then got back from that and played the last 15 games of last season. Then on the very last day when we played Sheffield United I cracked my tibia again trying - and failing - to stop them from scoring. I've played some football within those two years but I've missed out on a lot.

Does that help you appreciate the game more?

It does, you go out and even on horrible, cold frosty mornings like it has been this week you can't wait to train. You look at some of the lads who've not had that sort of bad luck with injuries and some of them, day to day, can't wait to finish training, but I'm still flying. They have lives other than football, obviously, but when you are on the training ground you are being paid to work and I've realised that. I enjoy it a lot more now than what I did before I had my injuries - just for the fact I've sat in a gym and on the physio's bench for two years, and until you've had that you don't know what it feels like. When time does come for training I'm always one of the last to come off. I just enjoy every day.

You mentioned Steve Bruce has helped you?
He's had a big impact for me. Until he came I had not really been involved. I didn't know what it was with the old manager. I wasn't 100 per cent fit, maybe, but I came on against Liverpool for the first time back in September and I was really happy to be back in the fold. My face was back in the first team and that was my comeback - and especially with it being against Liverpool, because they are my team and I've supported them all my life, I was full of the joys. So a week later when we played Manchester United I was expecting at least to travel, and instead I found out through the kit man that I wasn't even in the squad. From there I never really played, but since Steve has come in he's done wonders for me in training. He and Eric Black are good to work with and it has suited me down to the ground, to be honest

How much will two years of experience in the Premier be a help, especially with the way you stayed up last season when it went to the last day?

I think last season was massive for us. We're quite lucky now that there's only been a third of the campaign gone, and the manager has a hell of a lot of games to get us out of the trouble we got ourselves into. I think with last year's experience when it comes down to it we should be okay. Chris Hutchings, to be fair to him, brought in a lot of quality players, and we also have faces there from last season who have been there and done it and helped us stay in. The likes of Emile Heskey and Kevin Kilbane also have experience on top of that.

People talk about Emile as being your key player. How much do you rely on him?

Emile's a fantastic centre forward, but there's more to us than that. In fact if you looked at our squad on paper, and you never knew the table, you wouldn't put us second to bottom, I'll tell you that. I think Antoine Sibierski could still prove an important player. He was on fire at the start of the season, but then picked up some injuries and hasn't got going since, but you see him in training and he's got quality. We have got two people for every position, probably other than a left back , and that includes the forwards and it's a key thing to have people who can score goals. We showed that last year. Now as well as Emile we've got Marcus Bent and Antoine, and there's also Julius Aghahowa who is still settling in but to me looks like real quality. So I think on paper we're better than the six or seven teams around us, but we're well aware that's not enough, you have to go out and do it on the pitch, and hopefully that's what we can do in the next couple of weeks over Christmas. From a personal point of view I'd like to be going to play at Anfield on January 1 with us out of the relegation zone and full of confidence to give it a real go.

Thanks for your time. We've a free £50 bet for you in aid of your favourite charity. What are you going for?

I'll put that on Arsenal to win the Carling Cup at [3.85]. Chelsea are favourites, I know, but Arsenal were fantastic beating Blackburn this week. The kids have got them into the last four but I think he'll put some of his bigger guns out to beat Tottenham in the semis, and then for whoever they play in the final. The youngsters are that good they can beat anybody, but with a couple of the big players added in I'd fancy them against anyone. The winnings can go to the Rainbow Children's Ward at Wigan Infirmiary. Several of our lads went there for a Christmas visit this week and if you ever feel sorry for yourself for football injuries it soon makes you realise how lucky you are.