Roberto Martinez
Roberto Martinez Reuters

Wigan Athletic captain Gary Caldwell has urged club manager Roberto Martinez to grab the opportunity to manager Liverpool, should he be offered the position.

Although Liverpool denied claims made by Wigan Athletic chairman Dave Whelan that suggested the 38 year old Spaniard had already been offered the job, Martinez is understood to be at the top of the Reds' list of candidates. The job was earlier rejected by Swansea City boss Brendan Rodgers, following talks with the Fenway Sports Group (the club's owners). According to an earlier IBTimes UK report, Martinez has said he will make an announcement regarding his future on Tuesday.

Caldwell claims should Martinez decide to move to Liverpool, nobody at the DW Stadium would harbour a grudge. The 30 year old Scot said he felt Martinez deserved to be at a bigger club and the former Celtic man praised his manager's cool and composed attitude.

"If the opportunity comes to go to Liverpool, you take it. We all understand that. I'm sure he would take it. Nothing fazes him. He stays very calm. Having worked with a lot of Scottish and British managers, you see the tea cups being thrown and stuff," ESPN quoted Caldwell as saying.

"But he's from Spain and it's a different culture and mentality and he remains very calm. At half-time during games it's me, Shaun Maloney and James McArthur going mental and he just tells us to sit down and relax, goes through things calmly and that helps us to get results," the Daily Star reported Caldwell as saying.

"He has what it takes to manage a club such as Liverpool. If that big job comes now then he has to go and show he is good enough. Having worked with him and knowing his tactical awareness and the thought he puts into training, then who knows what he could go on and achieve at a big club like Liverpool with their resources? It's been great for me to play under him," Goal.com quoted Caldwell as saying.

Martinez's star has risen to fame on the back of a stunning late season charge by Wigan, which saw them retain their Premier League status against all odds and Caldwell has heaped praise on his manager for being instrumental in their performance.

"Roberto moved to a three-at-the-back system around November in a game against Blackburn. We drew 3-3. It took us a long time to get it as good as it got. Not many teams play 3-4-3 and it was a bold move. It took hard work on the training pitch from the summer time. The system suited us. A lot of good managers couldn't cope with it. A few said Sir Alex Ferguson didn't really know how to stop us the night we beat them [1-0]," he added,
according to Goal.com.

However, Martinez still has to compete with Dutch tactician Louis van Gaal, who is reportedly also among the favourites to land the job.