Meet the backroom team: Latics confirm new staff

Wigan Athletic have confirmed Paul Cook’s team of backroom staff for the 2017/18 season. They will be officially unveiled in a lavish ribbon cutting ceremony involving three ice cream vans and the finest carrot-flavoured sparkling water.*

*Subject to confirmation from Mister Whippy and Creamy Mario.

Leam Richardson is Cookie’s right hand man. During his playing career, he had spells at Blackburn, Bolton, Blackpool, Accrington and… Notts County. Spot the odd one out and win half a packet of cream biscuits.

Anthony Barry is First Team Coach. He’s played for Coventry, Accrington and a bunch of lower league teams you have definitely heard of. At the age of 31, he could very easily be drafted in as an emergency midfielder when ‘Coyle flu’ strikes the Latics dressing room.

Head of Medical Andrew Procter also has strong Lancashire links, as he was born in Blackburn and played over 300 times for Accrington. He is one half of the acclaimed world champion competitive complaining duo Procter and Grumble.

Nick Meace is the new Head of Sports Science. The 26 year-old was a scholar at Wigan Athletic, playing in the Under 18s before heading to Bury and eventually joining Cook at Portsmouth. We don’t know if he’s played for Accrington, though.

Goalkeeping coach Nick Colgan arrives from Huddersfield Town. He played 10 times for the Republic of Ireland before retiring to a Russian Monastery. He returned the following day because he forgot his underpants and decided not to go back because it was ‘past teatime’.

The new dudes will join Peter Atherton for month-long games of Texas Hold ‘Em in the DW’s darkest room. Don`t try looking for it because you’ll be thrown out unless you own a special pass card: a Stagecoach buses swipe card from 2015.