By Nicholas Ojo
Kolo Touré has been appointed as the new manager of Championship club Wigan.
Wigan Athletic took to social media to confirm Kolo Toure as their new manager, following the sacking of Leam Richardson earlier this month.
Wigan sacked Richardson after a run of eight successive games without a win and approached Toure’s younger brother Yaya about the role. However, he turned it down.
Thereafter, Wigan turned their attention to Toure – who had been working as first-team coach at Leicester since February 2019.
The 41-year-old, who was a first-team coach at Leicester City, had held positive talks with the Championship club and has now signed a three-and-a-half year deal.
Toure, a former Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool defender, began his coaching career at Scottish Premiership side Celtic in September 2017.
But the former Ivory Coast international has now taken up his first managerial job in football with the Lancashire team.
Chief Executive Malachy Brannigan 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.
“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 Touré, give their backing to the staff and the players, as the Football Club begins a new, exciting era – starting at Millwall on December 10th.”
News of Toure’s appointment comes as 63-year-old Mick McCarthy recently admitted he put his name forward to become Wigan’s manager.
McCarthy has been out of work since he left Cardiff City by mutual consent just over 12 months ago.
He said to The Beautiful Game Podcast: “I’m not gonna lie about it, I’m gonna be honest about it. Yes I’d be more than happy to take it, be delighted to get back in, myself and T.C (Terry Connor) because T.C, 12 months now that we’ve been here and we’d both like to get back.
“And that’s what he does best, he’s fabulous on the grass, coaching players, as good a coach as I’ve worked with or seen.”
Wigan play Millwall on December 10 in the Championship.