Home run free transfer capture wrote his name into Wigan Athletic folklore | OneFootball

Roger Espinoza was signed by Wigan Athletic on a free transfer and became a cult hero

Wigan Athletic's finest hour was a globally renowned phenomenon, as videos of Ben Watson's heroic Wembley header reverberated around the world.

On 11th May 2013, the Latics caused one of the greatest upsets in modern football history, as they defeated Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final.

At the time, they were battling relegation towards the latter end of what turned out to be the final season of an eight-strong stint in the Premier League.

But despite suffering relegation to the Championship, Roberto Martinez's men picked up some unlikely and invaluable silverware, and in doing so managed to detract one prize away from Man City's now illustrious trophy cabinet.

The story of goalscorer Watson, who had recently recovered from a broken leg just in time for the cup final, is well documented, while many will also recall the man-of-the-match winning performance of winger Callum McManaman, who is now enjoying his third spell with the Tics.

However, what perhaps deserved more attention, and still does to this day, is the fact that it was a makeshift Latics squad that beat Roberto Mancini's side, amid injuries to key players such as then-club captain Gary Caldwell, and the versatile Jean Beausejour.

Such events meant that central midfielders James McArthur and Roger Espinoza had to be deployed as wing-backs, which made an already difficult task for Martinez and co all the more tricky.

Espinoza became a Latics cult hero

The Greater Manchester outfit agreed terms with the Honduras international in December 2012, and he moved to the Brick Community Stadium in January 2013, once his contract with Major League Soccer club Kansas City expired.

The Daily Mirror reported that Espinoza's compatriot, Maynor Figueroa, who was a Latics stalwart, played a role in Martinez's decision to sign the dynamic midfielder.

The former Kansas man added: "This has been a dream for me and I just can’t wait now to join up with Maynor and all the guys and get to work."

Although he joined a Latics side who were battling against the drop zone, it will not have been in Espinoza's plans to face relegation to the Championship just a matter of months after his big move to England.

However, it will have been beyond the Honduran's wildest imagination that, a short while after moving to the Latics, he would play a key role in delivering one of football's great fairytale stories.

But the ace did just that, and by managing to help the Tics keep a star-studded Man City side at bay during the FA Cup final, despite playing out of his usual position, he became a cult hero among the Wigan faithful.

In addition to his cup-clinching exploits, despite playing just 12 games in the top flight, he made his mark on the Premier League by notching one goal and two assists before suffering relegation.

Furthermore, he enjoyed the Greater Manchester outfit's reward for winning the oldest domestic competition in world football, as he made three Europa League appearances the following season.

Espinoza proved his worth in the Championship

Perhaps predictably for an international footballer who had seamlessly made the jump from Major League Soccer to the Premier League, Espinoza would go on to show his class in the second tier.

The Latics landed a play-off spot at the end of the 2013/14 campaign, and the Honduran played his role in a successful season, as he made 19 appearances.

Furthermore, the Brick Community Stadium side bravely defended their FA Cup title, and made it all the way to the semi-final as a second-tier outfit, before suffering a penalty shootout defeat to eventual champions Arsenal.

In just his second season in English football, Espinoza had once again played a starring role in an improbable cup run for the Latics, with five appearances in the competition.

The versatile midfielder returned to Kansas midway through the 2014/15 Championship season, following which the Tics suffered relegation to League One, as they struggled to hit the heights of their previous campaign.

But before trading Greater Manchester for a USA return, Espinoza left the Latics faithful with a lasting impression as one of the club's greatest-ever free transfer signings.