England U16 midfielder signs long-term contract with Latics after starring for club’s under-18 side.
- Alfie Devine commits long-term future to Wigan Athletic
- Devine, 15, has been capped by England’s U16 side and has already represented Latics’ under-23s
- Academy manager, Gregor Rioch: “Alfie is one of the best players I have worked with; he has a mature head on young shoulders.”
We are delighted to confirm academy midfielder Alfie Devine, 15, has committed his long-term future to Wigan Athletic.
Devine, an England U16 international who turns 16 in August, will begin his scholarship with Latics this summer, having already featured regularly for the club’s under-18s in their successful 2019-20 campaign.
The midfielder starred as Latics reached the quarter-finals of the FA Youth Cup this season, starting the quarter-final at Old Trafford in front of over 2,000 travelling Latics supporters.
Devine has represented England at U16 level this season, winning player of the tournament at the AGS Cup in December, in a tournament which included nations such as Spain, Japan and Mexico and Russia.
Speaking about Alfie’s commitment to Latics, academy manager Gregor Rioch said:
“Alfie is one of the best players I have worked with; he has a mature head on young shoulders.
“He has been capped by England and is regarded as one of the best for his age in the country. He is a player we like to challenge and stretch and he is consistently meeting those challenges, having shown comfort at under 18 level as a 15-year-old and also played for the under 23s.
“Alfie comes from an excellent family who are really supportive of the football club and his development.
“I am absolutely delighted with this news and look forward to working with Alfie and his teammates next season.”
Wigan Athletic chief executive Jonathan Jackson added:
“Alfie is another very talented footballer who has progressed through our academy to join our scholarship programme.
“Having already represented England, he has huge potential and he gave supporters a glimpse of his talent at Old Trafford earlier this year, playing in the FA Youth Cup v Manchester United at just 15.
“Gregor and all the staff at the academy are delighted that Alfie will continue his football education at Wigan Athletic. We all look forward to seeing Alfie grace the DW Stadium in the near future.”