Wednesday 8 April 2015 06:39, UK
Club captain Gary Caldwell has been named the new manager of Championship strugglers Wigan.
The Latics have moved quickly to name a replacememt for Malky Mackay, who was fired on Monday evening after a 2-0 loss at home to Derby left 23rd-place Wigan eight points from safety, with just five games remaining.
And the DW Stadium outfit have decided to turn to the 32-year-old Caldwell, who lifted the FA Cup after Wigan famously upset Manchester City in the 2013 final and has now signed what the club are descibing as a 'permanent contract'.
We are in a really tough place at the moment, but we will approach the next five games with only one thing in mind, to win.
Centre-back Caldwell has 55 Scotland caps to his name and has made 111 appearances for Wigan since joining in 2010 but a hip injury has effectively halted his playing career and he has not made any first-team appearances this season.
However, he has combined playing with learning his trade as a coach over recent seasons and, following a day of talks on Tuesday, he will be formally presented to the media as the new Wigan boss on Wednesday morning.
Graham Barrow will remain assistant manager, alongside Eric Black as first team coach and Mike Pollitt as goalkeeping coach.
Caldwell said: "I’ve made no secret of the fact that I wanted to move into management when the time was right
“I didn’t expect that to come along as quickly as this but, in football, you need to take opportunities when they arise, and I am honoured and excited in equal measures to take charge at the Latics, where I have shared such incredible memories over the past five years.
“We are in a really tough place at the moment, but we will approach the next five games with only one thing in mind, to win. After that, we will assess where we are and move on."
Wigan chairman David Sharpe added: "After a meeting with him on Monday and discussions all day Tuesday, Gary was the only candidate we considered, because we are so convinced of his qualities.
This is an appointment for the long-term. Gary, assisted by Graham, will spearhead the club moving forwards, whatever division we find ourselves in.
“He knows who we are as a football club and shares the same football philosophy. He is a natural leader who commands respect from everyone around him.
"People will talk about his lack of experience, but every young coach is in the same place, and there are many examples of young coaches being given opportunities and being successful.
“For me, the timing was important. We will look to get a reaction in the next five games and this period crucially gives Gary a chance to look at the players until the end of the season. Plus, it enables us to start working now with a manager we know will be in place next season.
“The immediate goal is clearly to do everything we can to survive in this division, starting at Fulham on Friday. It’s going to be a huge task but, with Gary, Graham, Eric and Mike at the helm, we have the right team in place.
“But this is an appointment for the long-term. Gary, assisted by Graham, will spearhead the club moving forwards, whatever division we find ourselves in.
"We have a new recruitment team in place, and an emphasis on developing our own players through the Wigan Athletic Academy.
“Everyone associated with Wigan Athletic is feeling pain at the moment, but we have now taken measures to address the situation and the most important thing is that we have a definite blueprint for the future."
