Cook happy to run without a skipper for time being

Latics have been left without official leadership after the close-season departures of skipper Stephen Warnock and vice-captain Jake Buxton, who have both stayed in the Championship with Burton.

Cook has named three different skippers in each of the three pre-season friendlies so far, with Craig Morgan leading the side out against Liverpool, Michael Jacobs at Southport and David Perkins at Notts County.

With Sam Morsy and Max Power also having captained their former clubs – Chesterfield and Tranmere respectively – there’s no shortage of on-field generals.

But Cook is happy to bide his time and see how the land lies in a few weeks’ time.

“When you’re still in the summer, there’s always going to be the possibility of upheaval and change,” Cook told the Wigan Post. “There’s a few strong candidates in the team for the armband.

“We just want to get to the first game of the season, we want to get past the transfer deadline.

“We want to know these lads are with us, and once we know the squad, then we’ll name our captain.”

Both Morsy and Power have reportedly been courted by Championship clubs folllowing Wigan’s relegation into League One, and it remains to be seen if any bids are received before the August 31 cut-off.

Cook, however, insists he is prepared for any eventuality that presents itself.

“Every club today is a selling club – that’s life,” he added.

“There’s no other industry quite like football.

“I’ve held talks with the chairman, and we only want to build the club and go forward.

“There’s no fire-sales going on here.

“But if someone came in tomorrow for Sammy Morsy, for the right money, Sammy would be gone.

“That’s the nature of the game, and we can’t change it.

“What I can assure our supporters is that we’re looking to build a team – not build a club, because the club is already build on strong foundations.

“We’re just trying to make it a happy club, like it was under Gary (Caldwell) a couple of seasons ago.

“I remember watching the away games at Swindon, Blackpool that year...and I remember the scenes with the Wigan fans.

“That’s what fans remember, and they are the great days you treasure. Hopefully there’s some more on the way.”