With Wigan Athletic legend Shaun Maloney having been officially sacked by the club after just over two years at the helm of the Greater Manchester side, fans are now starting to wonder who are the among the favourites to his replacement him as the next manager.
Maloney, who shone as a player at the club from 2011-2015, was put in charge back in January 2023 amidst an extremely difficult few years for the club following the collapsed takeover during the pandemic, record losses of £17.5 million last year, the eventual ownership transition and more.
Nevertheless, his departure was announced on Sunday morning following a 2-1 defeat to Reading at home, leaving the Latics in 15th on 39 points and a somewhat precarious pocket just above the relegation zone.
Having been lauded by many supporters for his valiant efforts in keeping the team afloat during his time at the club, the news hasn’t sat well with a good chunk of the fan base.
Absolute joke of a club. You’ve majorly let maloney down. Then pot him. Embarrassing.
The club expressed plenty of gratitude for the former Scottish footballer, recalling how “Shaun stuck by the Club and helped us overcome an eight-point deduction and a squad overhaul to retain our 2023/24 League One status comfortably with matches to spare.”
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Insisting that he helped them enjoy a number of “proud moments” including “three memorable victories over rivals Bolton Wanderers, just to name a few”, they also credited him with bringing through a lot of promising young players who, helping both the club and them in their respective careers.
“However, it cannot be overlooked that the current League One campaign has clearly not progressed as anticipated”, the statement continued, stating that the “Board felt that it was time for a change.”
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Now, while Wigan are assuring they will take appropriate time before appointing his successor, a fair few names have already been floated. Here’s how the bookies odds are looking at present:
Ryan Lowe – 1/2
Ian Evatt – 8/1
Paul Warne – 10/1
Glenn Whelan – 12/1
Michael Appleton, Jon Brady, Leam Richardson – 16/1
With former Preston North End boss Ryan Lowe thought to be the frontrunner after quitting his previous job back in August; despite initial reports claiming he has been sacked, it is now though the decision was made by mutual consent.
Seemingly second in line is recent local rival Ian Evatt, who was let go by Bolton following an emergency meeting back in January. Although things did end great for Evatt, he did get the Troitters promoted to League One and won the EFL Trophy in the 2022/23 season.
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Whoever is ultimately picked, even former players aren’t exactly on board with dismissing Maloney:
A legend of the club.
Thank you for everything you did for me and my teammates under impossible circumstances.
You won’t find another manager who cares about Wigan Athletic more than Shaun Maloney 💙 https://t.co/9wVZNpejIf
Walsall’s Mat Sadler and former Swansea City head coach Luke Williams have also been foated as potential replacements, though there are by no means among the favourites to be selected as the next Wigan manager.
Regardless of how much competitive success he achieved in his turbulent tenure, you don’t get fan edits like the one below without making an impact and leaving an impression. He’ll be missed around the DW Stadium, there’s no question about it.
Who would you like to see at the next Wigan manager, ‘Tics?
Kevin De Bruyne confirms he is leaving Manchester City
Danny Jones
One of the Premier League’s best-ever players and a true Manchester City legend, Kevin De Bruyne, has confirmed he will soon be leaving the club.
Announced in a series of emotional social media posts on Friday, 4 April, the brilliant Belgian footballer will be calling time on his career at the Etihad Stadium come the end of this season.
Having spent a decade in the iconic blue of Man City, De Bruyne will undoubtedly go down as one of their all-time greats, having helped them to their first Champions League trophy during the Treble-winning year and a record four consecutive Premier League titles – of which he’s won six in total.
As you can see in the lengthy message shared on his social media, ‘King Kev’ informed City supporters that this current campaign will be his last in their colours, writing: “Every story comes to an end, but this has definitely been the best chapter.”
The 33-year-old, who has suffered from increasing injury problems over the last couple of years, goes on to say that “Nothing about this is easy to write, but as football players we all know this day eventually come. That day is here – and you deserve to hear it from me first.”
In what is clearly a heartfelt and just as difficult a post for him to write as it is for fans to hear, he added: Football led me to all of you – and this city […] This will always be our HOME.”
Blues all over Greater Manchester and beyond will be heartbroken, but many won’t be completely shocked given his in-and-out
It’s a sad day to be a Cityzen, no doubt.
Speaking in the pre-match press conference ahead of the Manchester derby, manager Pep Guardiola said: “In the Premier League, he is one of the greatest midfielders in this country and top of the Club. Great, if not the greatest.
Manchester City will bid an emotional farewell to Kevin De Bruyne this summer when his contract expires, bringing an end to a glittering 10-year period at the Club 🩵
Although his talent will never come into question, it’s no secret that he’s struggled to stay fit and be as prolific a creator in Guardiola‘s side – though this is largely in contrast to his ridiculously high levels and just how much of a talisman he has been over the past 10 years.
Starting just 19 matches this season, he’s still managed to score four goals and register seven assists, but a recurring hamstring problem has seen game time limited.
Regardless, when he’s at his best, there’s no question about it: he’s the best player in the Premier League, and the club have promised to pay fitting tributes to their generational number 17.
With 106 goals to his name in 413 appearances – the first midfielder since Colin Bell to reach over a century – across all competitions for City, not to mention 118 assists in the Premier League alone, he’s been one of the most creative and, frankly, ingenious players on the planet for more than a decade.
Whether you’re a Blue, a Red or otherwise, no one can deny the joy of watching him play football. Thanks for the memories, KdB.
Featured Images — Brad Tutterow (via Flickr)/soccer.ru (via WikiCommons) Kevin De Bruyne (via X)
Sport
Jack Grealish dedicates first league goal in 16 months to late brother on anniversary of his death
Danny Jones
Manchester City star Jack Grealish held back the tears following his first Premier League goal in more than 16 months, but not in relief after breaking the duck, because it came on a very emotional day for him and his family.
The Man City and England midfielder opened the scoring in the Blues’ 2-0 win against Leicester City on Wednesday night, bringing an end to his goal drought after a total of 473 days.
But what made it even more special is that the game happened to coincide with the anniversary of his late brother Keelan’s death.
Speaking in his post-match interview after picking up the man of the match award, Grealish was in a noticeably quieter mood than his usual charismatic self before revealing that the day marked the 25th anniversary of his younger sibling’s death.
Jack Grealish dedicates his goal to his late brother on the 25th anniversary of his death ❤️ pic.twitter.com/u3toaqZSuR
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 2, 2025
The 29-year-old went on to reveal that the date coincided with Keelan’s passing and acknowledged that it’s “hard on the family but [I’m] happy to score”.
His mum and dad, Karen and Kevin, were up in the stands; it doesn’t need explaining why scoring in that particular moment was so special for all of them.
Clearly stirred by addressing what was a bittersweet occasion, he signed off by adding, “To score and to win was brilliant.”
Keelan Daniel Grealish was just nine months old when he tragically passed away from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) back in 2000 – ‘Super Jack’ was just four at the time.
Paying tribute on social media after the game, the comments below his post were filled with love and support.
Besides the goal itself, the former Aston Villa star was keen to reiterate that he was never brought to the club to score bags of goals and “has a lot more to offer” than just hitting the back of the net.
Touching on his Grealish’s game and the tribute to Keelan during his post-match duties, manager Pep Guardiola went on to add: “Jack is an incredible human being; in terms of gestures and for the other people, he’s incredibly generous.
“I didn’t know that [it was the anniversary of his brother’s death]. I can’t imagine how tough it could be for mum, dad, sister, and all the family. It’s good on this day to remember him, I’m pretty sure they remember every single day.”
A lovely moment from a much-loved character around the Eithad Stadium as well as up and down the country. Rest in peace, Keelan.
You can watch the highlights from the game down below:
Three more points on the board for City and a big moment for the Brummy-born midfielder.
Danny Jones -
4th March 2025 
