Coyle replaces Martinez at Wigan - chairman

Owen Coyle has been appointed manager at English Championship side Wigan Athletic, the club’s chairman said on Friday, after Roberto Martinez left for Everton.

“We’ve agreed in principle a deal with Owen,” Dave Whelan told Britain’s Sky Sports News television in an interview.

“We’re just talking to his agent at the moment about getting it finalised.”

The channel said the 46-year-old former Bolton Wanderers boss had been brought in on a one-year rolling contract and offered lucrative bonuses to get the club back to the English Premier League.

Whelan said that Coyle, who took Burnley to the Premier League, was the best of a number of candidates and expected the deal to be completed on Friday.

He would start with immediate effect, he added.

Wigan were relegated from the top flight last season, despite winning the FA Cup, and had been looking for a candidate for the vacant manager’s position following Martinez’s departure.

Martinez has taken over from David Moyes, who succeeds Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.