JASON Roberts will not celebrate if he scores against his old Wigan pals this afternoon after admitting his two and a half years with the Latics was a "special" time.

The Blackburn Rovers striker is expected to lead the attack at the DW Stadium this afternoon, hoping to shoot them up the Premier League table - but insists he has too much respect for Wigan to 'rub their noses in it'.

Roberts made over 100 appearances between 2004 to 2006, helping Wigan to Premier League promotion and a league cup semi final.

He said: "I know Wigan are having a hard time at the moment and I do have really big feelings for the club.

"I wouldn't want to be in a position where I could be in a position to hurt their season.

"What happened at Wigan was special and will probably never happen for me again in the way it did there.

"It was a special time and special people but you have to move on.

"It is a club I will always have feelings for but I am glad to have signed for Blackburn.

"I have been here a long time, a lot longer than I was at Wigan and we have had some exciting times here.

"It is weird, I score against them almost every time and I never celebrate.

"Some people take it the wrong way, it is not like that though.

"If I played against Blackburn in years to come I wouldn't celebrate, it is just not right.

"I would like to think I have a good relationship with their fans and I wouldn't want to run off celebrating after scoring the winner against them."