Malky Mackay, who has been controversially appointed as manager of Wigan Athletic, hopes the club will put the past behind them and see him for who he really is.
The former Cardiff City manager is currently under investigation by the FA after sending racist, sexist and homophobic texts during his time in Wales.
The move by Wigan has led shirt sponsor Premier Range, a kitchen firm with a logo on the back of the club’s shirts, to end their agreement.
Nevertheless the Scotsman is extremely proud to have been chosen to lead a club he has long admired.
He said: “It has been a difficult period in my career and I have made mistakes, but I hope that in my time at Wigan the people of Wigan will see who I am, and see that I’m someone who desperately wants the club to do well.
“I’ll make sure I do everything in my power in terms of my work ethic and my drive and determination to make sure that the Chairman and his club are back where they should be.”
Chairman Dave Whelan who decided to appoint Mackay is also pushing for people to move on from the past and accept that despite his mistakes morally he is a superb manager with proven success.
“He is a committed family man with decent values and is a professional who has worked and thrived for over 20 years in the multi-cultural world of modern football,” said Whelan.
“There is nothing more to say about this subject, and as far as I am concerned we draw a line under it from today. I believe that it is now time to move on.”
In his first season at Cardiff, Mackay took them to the Capital One Cup final and Championship play-offs and then in 2013 he got them promoted to the top flight for first time in 52 years.
Mackay has a huge job on his hands, starting with a game against Middlesbrough on Saturday, with Wigan lying 22nd in the Sky Bet Championship table.
Alongside his plan to leave his mistakes behind him he wants the Latics to do the same and for them to recover from their relegation position as quickly as possible by applying high energy to their game.
The 42-year-old added: “It will be a team that sweats for that jersey, full of passion and commitment.
“Fans and players rub off on each other in terms of their enthusiasm for the football club and they’re certainly going to get a manager that has got great enthusiasm for everything connected to Wigan Athletic.
“It’s about making sure that we progress and that we get back to the Premier League as quickly as the club can.”
Main image courtesy of Wigan Athletic via YouTube, with thanks.
