Exclusive: Stephen Humphrys lifts lid on Wigan Athletic exit ahead of Barnsley reunion

The 27-year-old forward experienced an eventful three years with Latics following his capture from Rochdale in the summer of 2021.

In his first season, Humphrys helped Latics win the League One title under Leam Richardson. However, his second year was much more difficult, as Humphrys was loaned out to Scottish outfit Hearts, while things fell apart back in Wigan - on and off the field - under previous owners Phoenix 2021 Limited.

Having returned to his parent club - who had been saved by the Mike Danson takeover in June 2023 - Humphrys led from the front and was top scorer as Latics overcame an eight-point deduction to finish in the top half of League One.

Due to budget cuts, Latics were unable to offer Humphrys what he considered acceptable terms for a new contract and, after taking all summer to assess his options, he joined Barnsley just before the transfer deadline.

Now, as he prepares to face his former club for the first time since leaving, Humphrys has given his version of the events surrounding his exit...including accusations he 'downed tools' after 'snubbing' a new contract offer.

Speaking exclusively to Wigan Today, Humphrys said: "I saw a lot of rumours online about the way I left, and I'll just tell the full story now, because it doesn't matter anymore.

"So I was doing really well at Wigan last season, I was absolutely loving it, loving playing under Shaun Maloney, the way we played...and I thought surely a new contract offer would be coming in.

“I wanted to stay, I told the manager that, the manager wanted me to stay...he was telling me every day in training 'let's get this contract signed, Humps!'

"I kept telling him: 'Well I need an offer first'! So I'm not quite sure what the communication was like from higher up to him, but we didn't receive an offer for a good couple of months.

"When it did come in (just before Christmas), it was on reduced wages...and there's me thinking I was in the form of my career and I would be rewarded with a better contract, and we'll crack on.

"The manager had even spoken to me about being a future captain of the club, and I was really buying into it...but I just couldn't sign it.

"At the time, Wrexham had come in for me, who were paying really good wages...and I still didn't want to leave Wigan for Wrexham. I think they put an actual bid in for me, but I didn't want to leave Wigan, so that was Wrexham off the table.

"There was another club, in Europe, who also came in with really good money on the table. Again, I said no, I said 'let's get this sorted here, I want to stay'. But God's honest truth, there wasn't another contract offer from that day forward.

"My position was always: 'This is where I'm at, I'm turning down more money than I've been offered elsewhere, I'm more than happy to stay here for less money – not less than what I was on, but less than other clubs are offering'...because I wanted to stay.

"I believed in what Shaun Maloney was building, what he had planned for the club, and what he had planned for me...I thought we were heading in the right direction...but it just never came. And I see a lot of people saying on social media 'he sacked it off’...this, that and the other... But to be honest, my form dipped because I thought: 'How important can I be to the club?'

"I'll be honest, it was a really poor offer, it really was...and I know people will say the previous owners gave out ridiculous offers...but it was a poor offer in general. Regardless of what I was on, and what I knew other lads were on, it was a poor offer.

"I was saying to the gaffer 'this is what I want', and he'd say 'yeah, leave it with me Humps, I'm going to make sure we do everything we can to sign you'...and it just dragged on for months.

"I don't think he heard back and, before we knew it, the season was over, he called me and said 'look Humps, we're not going to be able to offer you what you want'...and I was genuinely gutted.

"Like I say, I know people were saying I'd sacked it off, but to be honest my confidence dropped a little bit...I just didn't feel valued.

"In my head, I never ever downed tools...people can say that I did, but then you look at when I came on against Bolton and scored the winning goal...and that was pretty much knowing I wouldn't be staying at Wigan.

"I said to Shaun Maloney: 'I'm always going to try my best...if you play me, you play me...because my goal is to show the owner that they should be keeping me'...but it just never happened."

Humphrys came in for renewed stick from some Wigan fans when sporting director Gregor Rioch - speaking to BBC Radio Manchester on fixture release day last June - was asked about the situation.

"We offered Stephen Humphrys a contract on December 22, and I'm still waiting for his agent to come back to me, we never got a response at all," said Rioch. "I know Stephen had conversations with Shaun, but communication is really vital, and you can only really go forward if you have some sort of response, which we didn't get."

Humphrys was keen to reiterate his version of events.

"My agent spoke to Gregor and told him I wanted to stay," he said. "Not only that, I had so many meetings with Shaun, where I told him that, although I couldn't sign the contract that was on offer, I wanted to stay...that was my answer to the contract offer.

"So yes I was turning down the first contract offer, but it was the type of contract you'd expect at a challenging League Two club...not a League One club that wants to get into the Championship.

"Wigan were fully aware that I was turning down that contract, but that I wanted to stay...and could we try to sort something out. I never received another contract offer...that is God's honest truth, I never received another offer after that.

"I never felt like I had to communicate that to Gregor...that is between him and my agent. I made Shaun aware, and I know for a fact the manager passed on that information, because the manager then came back to me and told me they couldn't get to that...so he's obviously spoken to them.

"There was one hundred per cent communication and, for want of a better word, it p****d me off to be painted as the bad guy...when that wasn't the case at all."

Humphrys also insisted his three years with Latics have been the happiest of his career 'by far' – shown by the fact he remains in touch with most of his old team-mates.

"I was gutted, because some of my best mates in the game were from my time at Wigan," he said. "I went on holiday with a few of them last summer, they're my best mates. Not only that...the club staff, the kitchen staff, people like that...I just got on with everyone.

"And I like to think I had a pretty good connection with the fans, although I know some of them turned on me, which I get is football...people are quick to forget the good times.

"But the second half of the season...I just wasn't in the right headspace, because I wanted to stay and I didn't ever get the impression - manager apart - the club really wanted me to stay.

"And it was the same with Jordan Jones, who I speak to regularly...he never wanted to leave either...neither did Josh Magennis, nor did Charlie Wyke. At the end of the day, there's only too much loyalty you can show before it needs to be reciprocated a little bit.

"And don't get me wrong...this is nothing to do with Shaun Maloney...I one hundred per cent believe he fought for me and JJ and the others to stay...I know for a fact he pushed for that to happen.

"I just think, with the cutbacks that have been happening - and there's people who've been there God knows how many years, who are not there any more - we were just seen as numbers and not players and people.

"It became 'how can we get this figure down, and it just took the human element out of it. But everything happens for a reason. It is what it is."

Before publishing, Wigan Today contacted Rioch, who stood by his comments.

He said: “I was asked ‘Could I have done any more in that situation?’ And my answer is no. But I genuinely wish Stephen all the best for the rest of his career. He gave us some great moments in a Wigan shirt, and is forever part of our history.”