KOLO TOURE has won the battle of the former Celts to land the Wigan manager’s job, as CQN forecast TEN days ago.
The 41-year-old former Hoops defender has quit as assistant to Brendan Rodgers at Leicester City to take over the struggling Championship outfit.
Shaun Maloney, 39, was also reported to be in the running for the post that became vacant when Leam Richardson was sacked earlier this month.
The ex-Celtic and Scotland international midfielder spent four years at the club and was part of their FA Cup-winning side of 2013 alongside James McCarthy.
IT TAKES TWO…Brendan Rodgers and Kolo Toure at Lennoxtown during their days together at Celtic.
After building his reputation as a coach with the Belgium national team, Maloney’s managerial career got off to the worst possible start when he was axed by Hibs after just four months in charge last season.
One-time Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool centre-back Toure was announced today as the Latics’ new boss after signing a three-and-a-half-year deal.
The Ivorian has spent the past five years coaching at Parkhead and the Midlands alongside Rodgers, but has decided it is time to go it alone at the club who are sitting in 22nd place in the table.
Toure was part of the Celtic Invincibles that went through the season unbeaten in 2016/17 in Rodgers’ first campaign after taking over from Ronny Deila.
ON THE BALL…Kolo Toure in his solitary season as a Celtic player in 2016/17.
The veteran defender hung up his boots to join the coaching staff in September that year and followed the Northern Irishman to the King Power outfit following his sudden departure from the champions in February 2019.
Chief executive Malachy Brannigan, speaking to the club website, said: “We are delighted that Kolo has become the new manager of Wigan Athletic Football Club, 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.”
