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Paul Cook leaves Portsmouth to take over Wigan

Wigan have announced the appointment of Portsmouth boss Paul Cook as their new manager.

Cook was given permission to talk to the Latics after they reached an agreement with Portsmouth over the weekend.

The 50-year-old, who had one year remaining on his contract with Pompey, has now signed a three-year contract at the club where he enjoyed two spells with as a player.

Cook eplaces interim manager Graham Barrow, who left the club on Monday alongside backroom staff Mick Rathbone, John Doolan and Jimmy Barrow following the Latics' relegation to League One. Cook will be joined by assistant Leam Richardson.

Wigan chairman David Sharpe said on the club website: "He has a winning CV, a track record of success."

Cook began his reign as Portsmouth boss in 2015, missing out on promotion from League Two in his first season before helping the club win the League Two title on the final day on the 2016-17 campaign.

Prior to Portsmouth, Cook led Chesterfield to the League One title in the 2013/14 season, while he has also managed Accrington.

In his first interview since his appointment, Cook told Latics PlayerHD: "It's a superb facility, the stadium has been here for 20 years now but my first recollections of Wigan are from Springfield Park all those years ago.

"To come into the stadium this morning and see all of the facilities that we have here that obviously the previous chairman Mr. Whelan and now David have done for the club is absolutely fantastic.

"The club's come a long, long way from those days and hopefully my job now will be to try and take us back up the pyramid.

"It plays a big part; whenever you leave a club it is always difficult, I have great affection for Portsmouth and it was a very difficult decision but I feel going forwards it was the right decision for me and my family for sure.

"I think Wigan is a fantastic club, the infrastructure of the club, the playing squad, everything about it isn't a League One club.

"It's not dissimilar to Portsmouth when they were in League Two but the reality of it is that you are where you are and our job now is to try and deliver a promotion this season."

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