LONDON – Wigan Athletic’s Barbadian captain Emmerson Boyce has hailed his side’s FA Cup semi-final win over Millwall as “a dream come true”, and says they are already gearing up for the final.
The north England club beat London-based side Millwall 2-0 on Saturday at Wembley to reach the FA Cup final for the first time in 81 years.
“It’s amazing, a dream come true for the club and the fans. People have said a lot about the fans but they were excellent,” said the 33-year-old Boyce who has made four appearances for Barbados.
“I want to say thank you too to the chairman [Dave Whelan]. There are too many people to say thank you to.
“I can’t wait for the final now. The chairman has been a long time waiting for this too. The manager has been excellent. The whole team has been excellent.”
Whelan is the owner of the Lone Star Hotel and Restaurant on Barbados’ west coast.
Born in England to Barbadian parents, Boyce started his professional career at Luton before moving to Crystal Palace.A right-back who has often played in central defence, he signed from Crystal Palace in 2006, in a four-year-deal.
Wigan crushed fellow Premier League team Everton 3-0 in the quarter-finals, but Boyce said were under no illusions about the size of the task facing them against Championship side Millwall.
“We always knew Millwall were going to be a tough game,” he said.“They had good opportunities and could have scored but we showed great character.
“It was a professional performance and we can look forward to the final now.”
Wigan will face Manchester City in the final. (CMC)
