Leam Richardson reacts after Will Keane signs new Wigan Athletic deal

Will Keane has signed a new two-year deal

The forward has signed a new deal at the club that runs until the summer of 2023.

It follows an eye-catching campaign for Latics in which his 10 goals helped fire the club away from relegation danger.

He joined last October, having had a previous loan spell in 2013.

And manager Richardson says keeping him is part of a bigger picture as they look to progress under the Phoenix 2021 Ltd ownership.

“It’s testament to the player, and the club,” he said. “It is no secret that we are starting from scratch and we’re building the team, and the football club, and it won’t happen over night.

“These decisions can’t be just randomly scattered, they’ve got to be methodically thought through, and the right people have got to be brought to the football club, whether it’s on the playing side or the commercial side.

“Slowly, we will rebuild the football club again.

“Also, he is a fantastic lad, and we are going to try and build a team, structurally and methodically, in the right way to hopefully be competitive in the league next year.

“Everyone knows that Will is a good player. I think his career has taken different turns and I feel that it’s important that players find a home, and find a style of play that suits them.

“We’ve signed a good player, I think technically he brings goals to the team which is important.

“Hopefully as you saw last year, the numbers he contributed was okay, and I think Will can actually improve on them. It’s something that we’ll both be working towards next year.”

Keane, 28, can not wait to play in front of the Latics fans again after a season of matches behind-closed-doors.

And on signing the deal he added: “I’m absolutely delighted. On the back of last season, I was hoping to get it sorted so I’m glad it’s come around quite soon, and I cannot wait to get back into pre-season and crack on from there.

“I know the club are ambitious and I am hoping to be a part of that.

“I feel like I was producing good performances last season, and I know I’ve got the capability to improve on that next season and keep moving forward.”