Roberto Martinez's appointment as Wigan Athletic manager brings about a return to his roots for the Spaniard, once dubbed as one of "the three amigos" by Latics chairman Dave Whelan.

Though many point to Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez as the man who began the Spanish invasion of English football, Whelan and former Wigan boss Graham Barrow actually led the way by bringing Martinez, Jesus Seba and Isidro Diaz to the old Springfield Park in 1995.

Whelan was in Zaragoza to open a sports shop when he struck the deal to bring the trio to England, but few who saw Martinez score on his debut in a 2-1 defeat to Gillingham in August that year would have predicted that he would one day go on to become the club's first foreign manager.

Born in the Catalan town of Balaguer, Martinez began his playing career with his hometown club. He was then briefly on the books of Real Zaragoza before he traded the sun of Spain for the pier of Wigan.

He went on to serve Wigan with some distinction for over six years, comfortably outlasting his fellow 'amigos', while he became the first Spaniard to score in the FA Cup when he hit the net in a 1-1 draw with Runcorn.

His release from the club in 2001 - with more than 200 appearances under his belt - came as some surprise. Ironically it was Steve Bruce, the man he has just replaced at Wigan, who chose to let him go.

After brief spells with Motherwell and Walsall, Martinez made the switch to south Wales in January 2003 and immediately earned himself hero status with Swansea's fans, skippering the side to Football League safety following a flirtation with relegation.

One hundred and twenty-two appearances and a spell at Chester later, Martinez landed himself his first managerial job with the Swans at the tender age of 33.

He cut short a two-year deal with Chester to return to succeed Kenny Jackett as Swansea manager in February 2007, and instantly set about making a name for himself in the dugout.

His side quickly earned a reputation for playing fluid, passing football. Some even called them the Arsenal of the Football League. They cantered to the League One title in his first full season, finishing ten points above their closest challengers.

But more than just winning games and winning them well, the most notable element of Martinez's management style was his ability to spot players that no-one else did.

Amongst his bargain buys were Dutch goalkeeper Dorus De Vries, previously a player of little distinction with Dunfermline, midfielder Ferrie Bodde, who was rated by many as the best player outside the Premier League until a knee injury, and prolific striker Jason Scotland.

The Trinidad and Tobago forward scored 29 goals in his first campaign after joining from St Johnstone, while the £400,000 paid to Stockport for Ashley Williams was the most Martinez spent on any player during his time with the club.

But Martinez, who has long served as a television pundit covering Spanish football, also stayed true to his roots and, just as Barrow and Whelan did at Wigan 14 years ago, brought a number of his countrymen to the Welsh club.

Full-back Angel Rangel, winger Andrea Orlandi and strikers Guillem Bauza and Gorka Pintado have all played their part in Martinez's revolution, while the loan signing of Espanyol midfielder Jordi Gomez proved a true masterstroke.

Such transfer dealings all paved the way for Swansea to enjoy a superb maiden season in the Championship, finishing just six points adrift of the play-offs in the recent campaign.

It is perhaps those statistics more than the ones from the season before which have persuaded Whelan to take a calculated gamble on the Spaniard. And if his move proves to be as enduring as the one in 1995, then the Latics fans will have few complaints.