Kolo Toure appointment 'not a gamble' - Wigan Athletic CEO

So says chief executive Mal Brannigan, who insists the fact Toure is embarking on his maiden post as a manager is not as relevant as the qualities he will bring to the table.

Toure will be assisted by ex-Arsenal and England Academy coach Kevin Betsy and Ashvir Singh Johal, a former colleague at Leicester on Brendan Rodgers' backroom staff.

Despite a few eyebrows being raised outside the town, the Ivory Coast legend was the choice of the whole board after the interview process.

And Brannigan can't wait to see how he goes.

"I wouldn't quite agree that Kolo coming in is a gamble," said Brannigan after unveiling Toure at the DW Stadium.

"What you do is look at what you're looking for in an individual - what he will bring as an individual and as a coach.

"You look at his team, and he'll benefit from having Rob (Kelly, Leam Richardson's No.2) and Darryl (Flahavan, goalkeeping coach) staying on here, and we're all delighted about that.

"You look at: 'What do we do well?' And the first bit of that is communication.

"If you know you have a structure where you know you can openly communicate with every other department at the club, then you've got a good chance.

"You're looking for someone who can communicate well, and is looking forward to his career, and who'll bring good energy, a good knowledge base, and good experience that made him stand out from the rest."

Toure has pledged to an expansive brand of attacking football, which Brannigan says the club remains committed to.

"I think the football we've played since we (Phoenix 2021 Ltd) have been here has been exciting," he added.

"Certainly the football we played to get out of League One was fantastic.

"And we hope that will continue, because that was certainly one of the questions we asked every (managerial) candidate - their philosophies on playing football.

"You can see that enthusiasm and that energy Kolo has given off already, and he and his staff have all learned from good people and had good careers.

"We believe that will translate very favourably in terms of what we'll hopefully see out there on the pitch."