Not even Roberto Martinez could persuade Graham Barrow to stay on at Wigan Athletic, reveals Shaun Maloney

Barrow, who recently turned 70, last week confirmed he would be stepping back from his day-to-day role, although it's expected he will remain in some - as yet unspecified - capacity.

For Maloney - whose association with Barrow goes all the way back to the Premier League years - it was a huge shock, not to mention a significant blow, to lose a man who has been described as 'Mr Wigan Athletic'.

"Going back to my playing career, I remember Graham, very vividly," said the Latics boss. "When I signed here, I was coming off two or three years of very horrendous injuries at my boyhood club (Celtic), where I loved being.

"And it took me probably four or five months of training and playing for the reserve team to get back to a certain level.

"At that moment, Graham was the reserve-team manager, and he was an amazing guy, a brilliant coach...but he had a personal touch as well.

"He was a shining light for me at that time, and in terms of helping to get me back to the level I did, I'll be forever grateful.

"When I left, he was someone I kept in touch with, we'd meet up and play golf, and when I got the call to come back here, there was no better man to have by my side.

"He was beside me during the hardest times here, when we weren't getting paid, and his advice was just invaluable, he stayed completely calm through it all.

"One of his greatest attributes is he knows the right thing to say at exactly the right time, and I will miss him deeply as my assistant - but it's so much more than that.

"I'm hoping he and the club can come to some sort of agreement regarding an ambassadorial role, and I'll definitely use him in the recruitment department, because he has a great eye for a player.

"He might be stepping away from the pitch, but I hope his time with Wigan Athletic is not over."

Maloney confirmed he'd also enlisted the help of Martinez - whose first manager as a Wigan player in the mid-90s was Barrow - to try to change his mind.

"I tried to convince him numerous times to reconsider," said Maloney. "I also asked Roberto to try to convince him to reconsider, but his mind was made up.

"I hoped with Roberto's input he could persuade him to give me another year, but I also respect Graham and whatever decision he came to. He's been an incredible servant to this club, and hopefully he still will be over the coming years.

"In addition to any role he may take, he has an open invitation to any training session, any lunch, any away game, home game, he has the freedom of the club. He's given us so much, he'll always be welcomed."

While most of the plaudits over the last few days have focused on Barrow's warm nature, Maloney also touched on his other side - which famously came to the fore on one particular occasion against Newcastle in 2013, when

Toon assistant boss John Carver was put in his place after taking exception to a challenge by Callum McManaman.

"He's an extremely warm man, but also a very hard man - a gentle giant," said Maloney. "That moment against Newcastle...you could see he was so protective towards Callum, who he'd brought through the Academy, and who he was going to protect as much as he could.

"I know he had a massive influence over Callum, through the Academy and then the reserve team, and that was typical of him. He had time for everyone, whether you were 18 or 35, he treated everyone the same, but what I loved about him was his deep desire to win.

"I'll miss him out there on the pitch, but I'll be forever grateful for what he's given me over the last 18 months - and obviously during my career. You can never replace Graham Barrow, that's for sure, but I think with the guys who have come in, we're in a good place."