Portsmouth Manager Paul Cook has been appointed as the manager of Wigan Athletic, signing a three-year contract at the DW Stadium.
Cook was given official permission to talk with Latics after an agreement was reached with Portsmouth Football Club over the weekend.
The 50-year-old Liverpudlian has been at Fratton Park for two seasons, missing out in the play-offs in 2015-16 before winning the League Two title last season and being named League Two Manager of The Year.
Prior to Portsmouth, he also led Chesterfield to the League Two title in 2013-14, before almost making it back-to-back promotions, losing out in the play off semi-finals after a 6th place finish in League One.
His first Football League managerial job was at Accrington Stanley in 2012, where he laid the foundations for future success.
He began his coaching career with Southport in 2006, then moved to Sligo Rovers in Ireland in 2007, winning two FAI Cups, a League Cup and leading the side to the UEFA Cup after twice finishing second in the League of Ireland.
As a player, Cook was initially signed by Latics from Marine in 1984 and he made his league debut still aged 17, in March 1985. A cultured midfielder with a sweet left foot, he went on to play 95 times for the club in all competitions, scoring 15 times, being part of the side who reached the FA Cup Quarter Finals in 1987 and lost narrowly in the Division Three (League One) play-offs that season, in the famous team that included Paul Jewell, Bobby Campbell and David Lowe.
He moved to Norwich City in 1988 and went on to play over 640 league games for the Canaries, Wolves, Coventry City, Tranmere Rovers, Stockport County and Burnley, eventually finishing his career with Accrington Stanley in the Conference and helping them reach the Football League in 2006.
Towards the end of a career that saw him play in the top flight for Norwich and Coventry, he also returned briefly to play under Paul Jewell for Latics on loan from Burnley in November 2001, making a further six appearances.
Leam Richardson is joining Latics as Assistant Manager. The 37-year-old first worked with Cook at Accrington Stanley and the pair have been together at both Chesterfield and Portsmouth.
