By Emmanuel Adeleke
Wigan Athletic Football club have appointed former Arsenal defender, Kolo Toure, as their new manager on a three-and-a-half year deal.
The Ivorian, 41, who had been working as first-team coach at Leicester since February 2019, held talks with the Championship side earlier this month and has now completed his move to the DW Stadium.
Toure worked under the likes of Arsene Wenger, Jurgen Klopp and Roberto Mancini during a playing career that saw him represent Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City, but he has no previous management experience.
The defender, capped 118 times for Ivory, will be joined by Kevin Betsy and Ashvir Johal at Wigan, while Rob Kelly will be his assistant.
Toure will now travel to Turkey to join his new players, where they are undergoing a mid-season training camp before resuming their championship campaign at Millwall, on Saturday, December 10.
Wigan had been searching for a new boss since sacking Leam Richardson on November 10, just a two weeks after they handed him a new three-year deal, following an eight-game winless run.
Speaking on Toure’s appointment, Wigan’s Chief Executive, Malachy Brannigan said: “We are delighted that Kolo has become the new manager of Wigan Athletic and the board are pleased that he is the man to take us forward.
“We received a high calibre of applicants for the manager’s job in recent weeks in a very thorough recruitment process as we looked to appoint the right person for the role.
“From the earliest of conversations we had with Kolo, it was evident to us that he had instantly bought into the values of the club, with his enthusiasm, knowledge and immense desire to work and be part of Wigan Athletic shining throughout the process.
“There is no doubt that this appointment is an exciting one for the football club. Kolo is a manager who wants to play a positive brand of football and will strive every day to make the club stronger.
“The work starts immediately with the first-team squad as the season is just a couple of weeks away from restarting.
“As a board of directors, we look forward to working closely with Kolo and his team as the work begins collectively to establish Wigan Athletic as a Championship club.
“I am sure that all Latics supporters will get behind the appointment of Kolo Toure, give their backing to the staff and the players, as the football club begins a new, exciting era.”
Wigan currently lie third-from-bottom in the Championship, but are only inside the relegation zone on goal difference.
