Whelan sure Martinez will not be Villa's new manager

Roberto Martinez will make the toughest decision of his managerial career today when he chooses whether to leave Wigan to take the vacant manager's job at Aston Villa.

Martinez spoke with Villa chairman Randy Lerner yesterday after the American made it clear that the Spaniard is free to fill the position left by Gerard Houllier if he wants to.

Wigan chairman Dave Whelan was happy to grant Martinez permission to speak to the midlanders although he was confident that he would hold on to the 37-year-old, who spent six years with the Latics as a player and has been manager for the last two seasons.

Martinez has managed to keep Wigan in the Barclays Premier League during his two seasons in charge, although the Lancashire club came agonisingly close to the drop this year, when they stayed up thanks to a final day win at Stoke.

Whelan has stood by the man he brought to England as a player in 1995 despite the club's flirtation with relegation, and is confident that Martinez can go on to become a manager of one of Europe's biggest clubs.

"My gut feeling is he will stay at Wigan, but he will move in 12 or 18 months or two years, and he will go to one of the top European clubs," Whelan added.

"If someone comes in - a big club like Villa - and says 'we are going to double your wages', a lot of people would jump and say 'I am going to do that'.

"Roberto is not that kind of man. He thinks long and hard. He is into football hugely and is enjoying what he is doing."