Tom Pearce 3

Left back Tom Pearce is now in his second season at the DW Stadium after joining Latics from Leeds United in the summer of 2019 on a three-year contract. Pearce, who played his schoolboy football with Everton before moving to Elland Road as a 16-year-old in 2014, played deputy to Antonee Robinson in his debut campaign with Latics after joining the club with a back injury which required treatment before he could return to competitive action. The Ormskirk-born defender made eight appearances in 2019/20 and will now be a key member of Latics’ squad in 2020/21. Pearce made his Leeds first team debut in March 2018 – a month before his 20th birthday - against Sheffield Wednesday and he then made a further nine appearances for the Elland Road club, scoring once in a 2-1 win over Barnsley, before spending time on loan at Scunthorpe United in 2018-19, featuring nine times for the Iron.