Former Aberdeen and Caley Thistle captain Graeme Shinnie insists he’s ready to fight for his future at League 1 champions Wigan Athletic.
The six-times capped Scotland international was recently reported to be set for the exit door at the Latics, who are gearing up for life back in the Championship under manager Leam Richardson.
Wigan dropped out of the second-tier two years ago following a points penalty for going into administration. Now, they are eager to make an impact once more.
Shinnie left Aberdeen for Derby County in 2019 where he spent three years, including working under former England and Manchester United star Wayne Rooney.
He moved on from the Rams in January, joining Wigan and has made 11 appearances, seven of which have been starts.
Suggestions that Shinnie would be freed sparked speculation – and hope in the north-east – that he would be a potential signing for Dons manager Jim Goodwin.
Pre-season starts again on Thursday
However , the 31-year-old, who was in Inverness as part of Aaron Doran’s testimonial night on Saturday, explained he’s only interested in being as sharp as possible to begin next season in Wigan colours.
He said: “My focus is to go down to Wigan after enjoying some time off with my family.
“I stay away from football as much as I can at this time of year and enjoy the down-time as much as possible to let my body rest and recover.
“I am back for pre-season on Thursday and, once there, it is about hitting the ground running, being as fit as a I can and look to play in the Wigan team. That’s all I’m focused on.”
Shinnie dug deep – but is determined
Defender-turned-midfielder Shinnie, who made 181 starts from 182 games over four years with Aberdeen, explained life hasn’t been easy in England at times.
However, he’s far from ready to look anywhere other than his current club Wigan, who he signed a two-and-a-half year deal with in January.
He added: “I found it tough to start with when I moved down and my family had moved from Scotland. I was initially living in a hotel and it was a different experience in my career.
“Wigan were high-flying at the time and had a really settled team who went on to win the league. I helped the team in any way I could.
“So I am looking at it as a fresh start for me at Wigan. I aim to get a good pre-season under my belt and really hit the ground running down there.”
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