Wigan have appointed club captain Gary Caldwell as their new manager, just a day after the departure of Malky Mackay.
Mackay was relieved of his duties following Wigan’s 2-0 defeat to Derby on Easter Monday, which left them eight points adrift of safety in the Sky Bet Championship table.
And the club has moved quickly to replace him, naming former Scotland and Celtic defender Caldwell, who will be assisted by Graham Barrow, as his successor on a permanent contract .
The 32-year-old told the club’s official website: “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.”
The club have confirmed that Eric Black and Mike Pollitt will remain in their respective roles as first team coach and goalkeeping coach.
Caldwell first moved to Wigan in 2010 and has remained at the club ever since, but he has not made a single first-team appearance for Latics this term.
The former Scotland man is delighted to have been given the opportunity to take the helm.
He added: “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.”
Wigan chairman David Sharpe has described Caldwell as a “natural leader” and believes he is the right man for the job.
Sharpe said: “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.
“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, 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 in his way 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.”