By @LaticsOfficial

Latics manager commits his future to Wigan Athletic by signing a new three-year contract 

  • Leam Richardson signs new three-year contract at Wigan Athletic 
  • Latics manager has impressed with the excellent leadership that he has shown throughout his tenure at the DW Stadium 
  • Richardson has won 48 of his 113 games in charge, including five games at the start of the 2022/23 Championship campaign

We are delighted to confirm that Wigan Athletic manager Leam Richardson has signed a new three-year contract with the Football Club.

As revealed by Chairman Talal Al Hammad on Tuesday evening, Richardson, 42, has been rewarded with a new contract by Phoenix 2021 Limited following the excellent leadership that he has shown throughout his tenure at the DW Stadium.

After initially taking charge of Latics at the start of the campaign for our season opener at Fleetwood Town in the Carabao Cup, Richardson returned to his role of assistant manager before taking charge of Latics’ draw with Bristol Rovers at the DW Stadium on 24 November 2020.

Despite spending the majority of the season in administration, Richardson brought the players, staff and supporters together with his composed approach, underpinned by his integrity, work ethic and desire to succeed.

Richardson was later appointed as the permanent first team manager within weeks of the takeover, in the middle of a four-game winning streak, helping Latics to secure their League One status, providing the Club with a solid foundation to rebuild from in the third tier of English football.

With Latics approaching pre-season ahead of the 2021/22 League One campaign, and just a handful of senior players on the books, Richardson’s next task was to build a squad that would be competitive for the upcoming season.

No fewer than 22 additions were made to the first-team squad, including the retention of Jamie Jones, Tendayi Darikwa and Will Keane who all signed new contracts having played such a valuable part in the previous campaign.

While the task at hand was monumental, the belief was always there that Latics could continue their proud history of defying the odds, and after quietly going about their business throughout the season, Latics clinched the League One title on the final day of the 2021/22 campaign.

On the back of guiding Latics to the League One title in his first full season, Richardson won two Manager of the Season awards for his fine leadership during the past 20 months.

Richardson was first named as the Sky Bet League One Manager of the Season at the EFL Awards, before he was voted as the LMA League One Manager of the Season by his peers to make it a double in terms of individual accolades.

In the 113 games that Richardson has managed, Latics have won 48 of those, including five at the start of the 2022/23 Championship campaign. 

Richardson has also shown real faith in the 3PL Wigan Athletic Academy, handing first-team debuts to a number of Academy products, with the latest being Josh Stones in Latics’ Carabao Cup tie at Fleetwood Town, coupled with Callum Lang and Thelo Aasgaard being consistent members of the first team squad.

From helping the Club retain their League One status to conquering the same division 12 months later, it’s been quite the journey for Richardson at the helm, with our Gaffer hoping to create more unforgettable moments at the Football Club in the years to come.