Chris McCann joins former Burnley boss Coyle at Wigan

Midfielder Chris McCann admitted that a reunion with former Clarets boss Owen Coyle was a big factor behind his move to Wigan Athletic.
LATIC: Chris McCannLATIC: Chris McCann
LATIC: Chris McCann

The FA Cup holders confirmed the capture of the 25-year-old Dubliner on Wednesday though his move will be officially completed on Monday when his contract expires with the Clarets.

After signing a three-year deal at the DW Stadium, McCann said: “It’s a massive club, and as soon as the call came I was desperate to get over here and get things signed.

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“I’m fully committed and hopefully I’ll get to show what I’m capable of very soon. The people I’ve met today around the place you get the impression that this is a friendly club, so I’m delighted to be and looking forward to the challenge.

“Owen (Coyle) was a big factor in the decision of course. Having worked with the Gaffer at Burnley, and experiencing what he did with us there, I know he’s a manager who’ll spread confidence throughout the place and he’s certainly someone I’m looking forward to working with once again.

“It was a difficult decision to come away from Burnley, but when you’ve been with a club for so long sometimes you feel as though you need a change. This is a new challenge for me, and one I’m looking forward to, playing on domestic and foreign fronts during the season.

““We’ll need a big squad and the Gaffer has already mentioned bringing in quite a few new faces to add to the quality that is already at the club.

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“So it’s going to be a big season for us and hopefully we can succeed in all the competitions we take part in, but the main aim is promotion back to the Premier League.”

McCann added: “I’ll go out each week and give nothing less than 100% on the pitch first and foremost, I can promise that.

“I like getting forward, supporting the attack and getting my name on the scoresheet.

“In the last couple of seasons I haven’t been able to do that quite as much as I would have liked, so hopefully this season I can push on and improve that.

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“You look back at the achievements of the club last season, when the world was talking about Wigan Athletic winning the FA Cup, and you realise it’s a massive club, and one that I’m privileged to be a player for.”

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