Life after Wigan Athletic is 'weird...daunting...unknown', admits veteran star

The Northern Ireland striker is currently assessing his options after seeing out his contract with Latics.

His two-and-a-half year stay was eventful to say the least, with a promotion, a relegation and then a season of consolidation in League One after last summer's takeover.

Despite having been club captain for the last 12 months, Magennis is now without a club for the first time in his professional career - and anxious to find out what's next.

"I've been fortunate in my career...I've been attached to a club coming into every summer, so I had the familiarity of where I was going back to in pre-season," he said.

"But this pre-season I could end up anywhere - it can be daunting as it's the unknown.

"It's a weird one - no-one has to pay a fee for you, it's just whether you want it or not, that's the big thing.

"In football you just don't know what's round the corner but it's a fresh outlook.

"I'm looking forward to it and I'll see where the next part of my journey is.

"Hopefully I can go and help a team, whatever standards and requirements they need."

Magennis, who has 78 caps for Northern Ireland, has already signalled his intention to continue at international level.

He was given the choice of skipping the June friendlies against Spain and Andorra while he sorts out his future, but informed manager Michael O'Neill of his desire to keep playing.

"You're just in the shop window - we're playing against Spain in another country, there will be other scouts watching because of the magnitude of the game so it's a chance to go and try to perform," added Magennis.

"As long as my family's happy with it, I'm happy to go anywhere," he told BBC Sport. "I want to go somewhere where I can still learn - obviously being 33 I've learnt a lot in the game but I'm still learning.

"I just want to be in an environment where I can bring value, not just on the pitch but off the pitch, maybe a young dressing room or a young squad.

"Or maybe a manager who needs a senior player who can police the dressing room - that's what my responsibility was in my last year at Wigan.

"That's the sort of next challenge I'm looking for. I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel but maybe my responsibility and role will probably be a bit different. It's one I'm just trying to manage and just see where I end up."

Magennis - whose career has also taken him to Cardiff, Grimsby, Aberdeen, St Mirren, Kilmarnock, Charlton, Bolton and Hull – scored 14 goals in 98 appearances for Latics.

While boss Maloney had hinted he would like to keep hold of Magennis for at least another 12 months, the reduced budget for next term meant that was not possible.