Why Shaun Maloney insists Wigan Athletic can rise again while achieving self-sustainability

The first campaign under the Mike Danson ownership was an unqualified success, with Latics finishing 12th in the table despite starting with an eight-point deduction.

That was done with a backdrop of losing several senior players last term, while being unable to pay any fees to replace them due to a transfer embargo.

Shrewd recruitment and use of the loan market helped Latics more than achieve their pre-season goal of survival, but the target next term will be an assault on the top six.

While the budget will again be reduced, the departure of several high-earning players whose contracts have expired - as well as the lifting of the embargo - will give Maloney scope to build a squad in his image.

And he is steadfast in his belief Latics can reach for the stars, while also cutting their cloth accordingly.

"We want to get out of this league, but we need to do it in our own unique way," he said. “The days of us having the biggest budget in this league are gone.

"The club’s short-term goals have to be to achieve promotion back to the Championship and become self-sustainable.

"This may take time, but I am absolutely convinced both these things will happen under this ownership.

"These goals are what motivates and inspires me, but I want the players, staff, and supporters to be inspired by our journey, which is just beginning."

A huge reason for optimism is the club's Academy set-up, which has propped the club up during times of trouble over recent years.

"We were the joint oldest team in the Championship last year and, given the serious financial troubles, we have had to completely change the model of our football club," added Maloney. "We made the decision to go down a path of trusting players from our Academy alongside some trusted senior players, and the squad has been brilliant under extremely difficult circumstances.

"We had one of the youngest squads in all four divisions with an average age of 24, and 42 per cent of all minutes last season came from Academy graduates, which is the highest percentage across the EFL. It’s an incredible achievement.”