NEW Wigan Warriors signing Oliver Wilson has not given hope of making his Super League debut for the club this season.
Wilson joined the Warriors from Huddersfield Giants ahead of pre-season, but the 25-year-old suffered a potential season-ending injury before the campaign got underway as he picked up an Achilles tendon injury in training.
He was immediately ruled out of the 2026 Super League season, but Wilson remains optimistic that he could feature in the latter stages of the season.
“I was a bit unlucky (with the injury)”, said Wilson.
“I felt like I was finding my feet in pre-season and I just did a step off my foot like I have done a thousand times before, and I blew up my Achilles.”
When asked whether he accepted his 2026 is over, he was reluctant to agree.
“Not necessarily, no. They give you nine to 12 months, so I think nine months will be September.
“There are people coming back a lot faster than in previous years. I know certain athletes have come back in six months or so, we will just see how it goes.
“I am doing a lot of upper body weights in training. I am also doing some seated conditioning and then a lot of rehab with the Achilles.
“I am hoping it is not a season write off. I am quite positive and I feel really good that I am able to come back in the season.”
Wilson was unsure where his future would be when he decided he was going to leave the Giants, but Wigan’s interest soon had his mind set on joining the Warriors.
“The move to Wigan came out of nowhere really,” added Wilson.
“I spoke to Huddersfield about moving on career-wise and it was agreed that was probably best for me and the club.
“Where I was going to end up was up in the air. But as soon as I knew Wigan were interested, I was keen to get it worked out.
“They do everything good on and off the pitch, they are known for that. Everyone I spoke to only had good things to say about them. It was an easy decision.”
Wilson’s focus is on getting fully fit and being available for selection this season, but he has also admitted he would like one day to represent Ukraine at international level.
His grandfather came to the UK from Ukraine died before he was born, but he is proud of his Ukrainian heritage and revealed he has already been invited to play for them.
Wilson has represented England once when he made his debut in 2024 against France in Toulouse, and although he still has ambitions of playing for his country of birth, he won’t rule out playing for the Ukraine.
“My mum is very proud to be Ukrainian and my middle name is a Ukrainian one because she wanted to keep it in the family.
“I nearly played for them (Ukraine) in the off-season. I was going through the process, but I was carrying a niggle from last season. As I was joining a new club, I needed to sort that out, so I opted out in the end.
“I have always said that England would be my first choice. I want to play for England, but I would also love to represent Ukraine, so if it came around again I would certainly consider it.”