Caldwell: Why recruitment will be tougher

Gary Caldwell is ready to 'swim with the sharks'

This time last year, Caldwell – along with chairman David Sharpe and chief executive Jonathan Jackson – were offloading virtually an entire squad, to be replaced by a whole new pool of players.

That process was helped by Latics having the biggest budget in League One alongside Sheffield United.

But having gained promotion back to the Championship, Caldwell accepts the goalposts will have moved considerably.

“Last year we were the big fish, so to speak, in League One,” he told the Evening Post.

“This year we’re in among all the other sharks, so to speak, so we have to do everything we can to attract players.

“The financial benefit of coming here is not going to be there, because other teams are going to be able to offer them more.

“What we have to offer them is a team and club going places, and a club players can see is doing the right thing and has a possibility of achieving success.

“Me and the chairman have spoken to a lot of players already this summer.

“And I can sense it’s going to be more difficult moving forward than it was last summer.”