Norwich City loanee Josh Murphy is convinced he can help fire Wigan to Championship safety.

The 20-year-old made his first start for Malky Mackay's Latics in the 1-1 derby draw against arch rivals Bolton at the weekend.

Murphy moved to the north-west on an initial one month loan in a bid for regular first team football after a frustrating season at Carrow Road. The England Under-20 international has made only one league start for the Canaries this campaign, scoring once in 13 appearances.

'I just want to get more experience and more game-time under my belt because I haven't had as much as I would like this season at Norwich,' he said. 'One of the main aims here is to keep Wigan safe in the league and I am sure the team will help me to achieve those goals.

'The manager has just asked me to come in and work hard for him and do what I can do. I am an attacking player so I will look to get goals and hopefully this will be a good loan spell for me. These boys give 100pc and if we play like we can then there is no reason we can't pick up results between now and the end of the season.'

Wigan remain in the final relegation place, five points behind Rotherham, ahead of the run-in, which resumes after the international break with a daunting trip to the Canaries' promotion rivals Middlesbrough.

Murphy is in no doubt the Latics have enough quality and fighting spirit to survive after making his debut last week in the 2-0 home league defeat to high-flying Watford.

'It's good, I'm enjoying it. It's a nice little club. It's a nice place,' he told Wigan's official site. 'We know the club is not in the right position where it should be, but with the players and staff around here there is no reason we can't stay safe in this league.

'Watching the lads against Watford before I got on I was thinking I was delighted I had come here, they were playing really good football, and if that is what we can do against top opposition I am sure we can do that against teams in and around us. There is a good togetherness in the camp. I played at a young age in the Premier League and it was a great experience that I hope can help me here.'

Mackay is urging his squad not to lose belief over the run-in.

He said: 'There's a great fighting spirit at the moment, and we'll take that with us into the last seven games, right through to the last day.'