Aberdeen captain Graeme Shinnie revealed he spent a stressful summer worrying not only about not being paid by Wigan – but if he would have a job.
Shinnie said he is delighted to have signed a three-year deal with Aberdeen who he hailed as a “tremendously run club who look after their players massively.”
The former Caley Thistle player will lead the Dons as club captain in the new season domestically and in the group stages of Europe.
However the 31-year-old suffered a summer of uncertainty as he sweated on the future of Wigan and his move to Aberdeen.
The midfielder went on a 10-day holiday with his wife and children having helped Aberdeen finish third in the Premiership during a loan spell at Pittodrie.
He had planned to switch off his phone and relax but couldn’t amidst concerns his then club Wigan would go under.
Wigan failed to pay their players six times last season.
Shinnie insists he would be told he would be paid the next day – only for that to be “complete lies”.
Earlier this month the Latics were served a winding-up petition by His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs over unpaid tax bills.
However as a result of takeover earlier this month, all players and staff were paid immediately, along with other creditors.
Shinnie said: “It was difficult with the turmoil Wigan were in when the season finished.
“It was an amazing finish to the season with Aberdeen and then I went away on my holidays for 10 days with the wife and kids.
“It’s when I try to switch my phone and everything else off to spent time with my family away from everything else.
“I wasn’t allowed to do that as every day I had to be on the phone to see what was going on at the club.
“And being told that you were going to be paid the next day and it was complete lies in the end.”
Doubts over Wigan Athletic takeover
Shinnie revealed he went without wages for up to three-and-a-half weeks with Wigan – but finally got paid each time.
Wigan were relegated from the Championship and will start next season in League One with an eight-point deduction after failing to meet an English Football League funding deadline.
There were concerns the club could also be hit with a transfer embargo due to HMRC-related matters, which could have impacted Shinnie’s move to Aberdeen.
However Wigan based businessman Mike Danson this month bought the club and paid off all their outstanding debts.
Danson assumed control from previous owners Abdulrahman Al Jasmi and Talal Al Hammad.
Shinnie said: “I was trying to chill out on holiday but I didn’t know if the club was going to be a club or not, and not being paid and all that.
“It was trying to deal with all that first.
“I think about three and a half weeks was the longest we went without wages.
“To be fair, we always got paid in the end, it was just delays.
“What we were being told over six months or so, we began to realize wouldn’t happen.
“The takeover was then talked about and it was questionable whether we could believe it or not.
“We were not certain it was going to go through, it was in hope more than anything.
“But Wigan are in a good place now with the new owner and everything settling down.
“It’s a real positive for the fans.
“Once that side of it was dealt with it was then about trying to sort out a deal (to Aberdeen).”
Aberdeen a ‘tremendously run club’
It is not the first time Shinnie has endured financial uncertainty and chaos at a club.
He left Aberdeen in summer 2019 to sign for Derby County in the Championship.
However in September 2021 Derby County entered administration and were deducted 12 points by the EFL due to financial problems.
Shinnie is delighted to be at a club with Aberdeen’s stability.
He said: “It happened at Derby as well when I was there so I hope it’s not following me around!
“I hope I’ve left all that in England and I’m not the jinx.
“The big part of it down south is the financial gain from getting up to the Premiership is massive.
“The money behind that is crazy.
“That might play a factor in some owners trying to push for that too much and they can sometimes ruin the club by doing that.
“They want the best for their club and they are trying their hardest to get to one of the best leagues in the world.
“But the flip side is sometimes you can put the club at risk. ‘
“The majority of supporters would rather have the stability than see their club overspend to try and get there.
“I think we do take it for granted in Scotland that the stability of clubs here is generally good.
“This (Aberdeen) is a tremendously run club that looks after its players massively.”
Maloney wanted to keep Shinnie
Wigan are managed by Aberdonian Shaun Maloney.
Shinnie, who had a year left on his Wigan contract, says Maloney wanted to keep him.
He said: “He (Maloney) was very good with me.
“It was a case of chatting away and working out what was best for both.
“He wanted to keep me but I wanted to come back to Aberdeen.
“It was quite important to me and he was very good with how he dealt with it.
“I only have praise for him.”