Since the appointment of Steve Bruce as Manager during the middle of last season, Wigan Athletic have gone from strength to strength. At one point they seemed certain to be relegated but a lot of credit has to go to Bruce who was able to turn the club around and also get better performances from players who were not playing well.

With Premier League survival guaranteed for another season, Wigan have not become complacent in attempting to make the team more competitive. Bruce has made some impressive signings during the summer as he tries to take Wigan to the next level. Tenacious midfielder Lee Cattermole has joined the club from Middlesbrough for £3.5 Million and Egyptian Amr Zaki has arrived on a season long loan from Zamalek. Cattermole is a promising youngster who will add some strength to the team in the middle. Zaki is an exciting striker who could be a surprise star this season.

Bruce has also returned to his former club Birmingham City to sign two of his former players. Oliver Kapo has signed for £3.5 Million after just one season at Saint Andrews. Daniel De Ridder likewise did not spend too much time at Birmingham. Following Bruce’s departure the Dutch winger failed to impress new manager Alex McLeish and subsequently his contract was cancelled through mutual consent at the end of the season. Bruce has since seized the opportunity to resign the player on a free transfer.

To accommodate the new faces at the JJB Stadium, Bruce has allowed some players from last season to move on. Defender Andreas Granqvist first joined Wigan in 2007 but has never managed to hold down a regular first team place. He moves to Dutch outfit FC Groningen for £600,000. Nigerian striker Julius Aghahowa has also moved on. He along with midfielder Salomon Olembe have joined Turkish side Kayserispor for an undisclosed fee. Australian midfielder Josip Skoko has also left the club. He returns to his first club Hajduk Split on a free transfer. Finally striker Marlon King has been allowed to join Premier League newcomers Hull City on a season long loan.

For Wigan supporters the outlook for the new season looks considerable better than it did twelve months ago. Steve Bruce has demonstrated his ability to get the best out of the team’s players and now has also been able to add some quality to the squad. Wigan are sure to find it difficult but this time around they should have enough within the team to comfortably avoid relegation.