Wigan Athletic new-boy aiming to make a flying start!

After joining from Championship side Derby on a two-and-a-half-year deal, the former Scotland international midfielder will fill the Jordan Cousins-sized hole in the midfield ranks.

And he can’t wait to get going with Latics in the midst of a gruelling fixture slog between now and April 30.

“Sometimes the best thing is to get thrown straight into it and deal with it as you either sink or swim,” he said.

“Games will come thick and fast, and hopefully I can get involved as much as I can and focus on trying to win games and climb the table.

“I’ve seen and heard what is going on at the club and what they want to achieve this season. It’s a great group of boys from what I hear and a great group of staff so I’m excited for the challenge ahead.”

Shinnie has swapped a relegation dogfight at Derby for a promotion battle with a Latics side who can go top of League One if they win their matches in hand.

“They’ve been very good,” added Shinnie. “They are scoring goals and are an exciting team so I cannot wait to get involved, meet all of the lads and settle in as quickly as I can so I can get ready for the busy schedule coming up.

“It’s going to be tough, we’ve got a lot of games to catch up on, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

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