Shaun Maloney appointed as new manager of Wigan Athletic

The former Hibs boss replaces Kolo Toure at the Latics.

Wigan Athletic appoint Shaun Maloney as successor to Kolo Toure SNS Group

Former Scotland international Shaun Maloney has been appointed as the new manager of Wigan Athletic.

Maloney, a former player with the Latics, replaces Kolo Toure, who was sacked after failing to win any of the nine games he oversaw during two months in charge.

The Scot has signed a three-and-a-half year contract at the DW Stadium, returning to management eight months after being sacked by Hibernian.

“I’m very proud to be back,” Maloney said. “I have amazing memories here and created some fabulous moments with teams and with fans, and I’m excited to get started.

“The feeling that I have from those times as a player is a big factor for me. I have been here previously and have always felt a great warmth from the supporters.

“I want the fans to see a team that is giving absolutely everything, fighting to get better and the supporters need to feel that. The connection is there, we just need to reawaken it. 

“We needed that support 10/11 years ago, and they were incredible for the team that I played in, and we’re going to need that again. 

“It’s a really big challenge but I believe that we can turn this around. A massive amount of work needs to be done, but I can’t wait to get started.”

After a playing career that saw him play for Celtic, Aston Villa, Wigan, Chicago Fire and Hull, Maloney returned to Parkhead to begin his coaching career with the club’s B team.

The coach then made a surprise move to international football, becoming assistant manager to Roberto Martinez at Belgium.

After three years with the Red Devils, he took his first step as manager, taking the reins at Hibs but found life difficult at Easter Road and lasted just four months in the job.

Since then, the 40-year-old has spent time visiting clubs in Europe, including Barcelona and Monaco, learning from their coaching set-ups.

Malachy Brannigan, chief executive of Wigan Athletic, said: “I am really pleased to welcome Shaun back to the DW as manager.

“Shaun has already amassed years of experiences as both a coach and assistant manager at the highest level, as well as possessing the knowledge of being a manager in a first team environment.

“The conversations that I’ve had with Shaun have always been incredibly positive, and I look forward to working with him and his staff.

“Everyone connected with our club has worked extremely hard to return Wigan Athletic to the Championship in such a short space of time – and we now have 18 games remaining to ensure that is still the case come the end of the season.”

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