Wigan Athletic head coach Gary Caldwell has promised the money raised by the sale of goalkeeper Sam Tickle will be reinvested back into the football club.
The 44-year-old returned to The Brick Community Stadium in February, almost 10 years since his first managerial reign came to an end. He guided the club out of League One during his first stint, although departed just three months into the 2015/16 campaign.
Caldwell has since become one of the most established managers in the third tier. He consistently kept Exeter City punching above their weight since joining the Grecians in 2022 before it was announced he would leave the club to return to Wigan in February.
The former Scotland international delivered a strong end to the campaign, ultimately pulling the Latics away from the relegation zone. They eventually secured a 16th-placed finish.
Tickle Exit Boosts Coffers
Wigan have already announced two arrivals this summer. Defender Connor Barrett has arrived from League Two’s Walsall, whilst 32-year-old midfielder has rejoined from Bradford City for a third spell at the club.
A gap in the squad has now appeared though, with goalkeeper Sam Tickle joining Championship outfit Bristol City yesterday. Speaking upon yesterday’s fixture announcement, Caldwell was full of praise for the outgoing shot stopper:
“I’ve seen Sam Tickle as a League One goalkeeper from afar from Exeter, and I’ve admired how good he was over the years. When I came here, he went way up in my estimations in terms of the quality he has and the work ethic he has.
“Some of his performances, some of his saves, they kept us in games at the end last season. Over the years, he has been a brilliant servant to this football club.
“But in football, all things have to move on, things change, and I think this is a time to celebrate our academy players that move on to progress their careers – and who knows where that may take him?”
Whilst the fee is undisclosed, reports in May claimed that Tickle was available for between £1.5-2 million. Continuing, Caldwell revealed that the funds will be reinvested.
“He gave us amazing service, we’ve got a good fee for him, that can be invested back into the football club, and he can go on and hopefully have an amazing career.
“Sam Tickle will always be one of our own, and hopefully he will spread the good word of Wigan Athletic in the Championship and hopefully higher one day.”
What’s The Target For Wigan This Season?
The increased budget will give Wigan some wriggle room over the remainder of the transfer market. This will aid them with their season targets, which will surely be to break into the top six.
Last season was incredibly disappointing, especially after they achieved a respectable 12th-placed finish in their first campaign back in League One. They clearly harbour ambitions of returning to the Championship and will looks at the feats of what other clubs achieved last season with a far smaller budget.
This includes Lincoln City’s phenomenal title win, whilst Stevenage extended their season by finishing in the play-off places. Some smart additions to their squad in the coming weeks could see them achieve just that.
