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Player's 'hat-trick' after hospital dash for son's birth

London - Wigan's Ryan Colclough had an evening to remember after scoring twice for the English League One club and then dashing to hospital to make it in time for the birth of his son - still dressed in full kit.

The 22-year-old winger put the former Premier League side 2-0 up against Doncaster at the DW Stadium just before half-time and netted a second in the 58th minute in a 3-0 win.

He was substituted just after scoring his second before racing down the tunnel and dashing to the hospital.

"What a great result and team effort from all the boys! I'm so happy to mark the birth of my second son with two goals and the win he made it a hat-trick for me! Appreciate all the messages!" Colclough tweeted.

He included a picture of celebrations on the pitch, mimicking cradling a baby, and one of him holding his son Harley Thomas.

"I'm still a little bit overwhelmed by it all, but it's a great feeling and I couldn't have wished for it to be anything better," he told BBC Radio Manchester on Wednesday.

"I looked at the manager and he said 'we'll bring you off now'," he added. "I went off, straight down the tunnel, grabbed my keys and phone and got off to hospital."

Colclough, who made it to hospital with just 30 minutes to spare, said he had arrived "in the nick of time".

Wigan chairman David Sharpe shared news of the safe arrival on Twitter, posting: "Congrats to Ryan Colclough who scored a brace tonight in our win before being substituted to make it in time to see the birth of his son!"

Assistant boss Leam Richardson said: "At half-time we got the message that his missus' waters had broken, his second child.

"As soon as (he scored) the second goal he was off the pitch, because his head was somewhere else."

Wigan, who won the FA Cup in 2013 and were relegated from the Premier League the same year, are second in League One, English football's third tier.

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