Owen Coyle is determined to hang onto Shaun Maloney.
The former Bolton and Burnley boss was appointed manager of Wigan last week and faces the tough task of following Roberto Martinez and taking the club back to the Premiership.
Coyle’s reputation as a manager soared when he took Burnley to the Premiership with Wigan looking for a repeat act after seven seasons in the top flight.
Maloney was one of the stars of Wigan’s FA Cup triumph and scored a number of vital goals- many from free-kicks as the Lancashire side fought to retain their place in the Premiership.
Despite signing a new contract earlier this year the former Celt is wanted by a number of Premiership clubs but his new boss is in no rush to cash in on Maloney.
“Shaun is my type of player and I’ve thought that since the first time I clapped eyes on him as a kid at Celtic,” Coyle admitted.
“I love him to bits because he’s a match winner and that’s what makes him an attractive proposition to others at the same time.
“Wigan have suffered a big blow due to the loss of their Premier League status and all of the Scottish lads, not forgetting Gary Caldwell, can be a big help to me.
“Participating in Europe will be great for the club but we’ll need to strike a balance between that and our domestic responsibilities.”
Wigan face a mammoth season with 46 Championship fixtures as well as playing in the Europa League with their Championship campaign starting a week after other clubs due to a Community Shield date with Manchester United at Wembley.
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