Shaun Maloney on 'added spice' of Gary Caldwell's return to Wigan Athletic given 'previous'

Caldwell - who was Maloney's captain at Celtic and Scotland as well as Wigan, before serving under him on the Hibernian management team – accused Latics of 'playing very negative football'...which was 'really frustrating and really disappointing' and 'a little bit embarrassing' after his side's home defeat in the league last October.

After Latics repeated their 2-0 victory in the FA cup a fortnight later, Exeter exacted revenge by winning the reverse league game at the DW.

But the wounds were reopened during the summer, when Latics lured Exeter centre-back Will Aimson north.

Wigan have pursued him throughout the window against my wishes, which has unsettled the player again and forced my hand," said Caldwell at the time.

In the lead-up to this weekend's fixture at the Brick Community Stadium, Maloney insisted both matters were water under the bridge.

When asked whether any added spice had been added to the fixture, Maloney replied: "Certainly not from me on my part. Anything that was said last season was post-game, and around the three games we had.

"No, look, I think the job we have, there's so much to it, that in terms of having thoughts from previous games, or anything an opposition manager has said, it doesn't come into it.

"I obviously understand there are emotions during and after games, and that's maybe something I've learnt since my first job in management at Hibernian.

"At that time I was trying to fight the world, but now I don't worry too much about that side of things...you just have to move on.

"With the Will Aimson thing, we were desperate to have him, and Exeter were desperate to keep him. I know the player and his partner, their family situation, he really wanted to be up north...and we've had it the other way, where players have wanted to be somewhere else.

"It was obviously difficult for Exeter to lose Will, but that's football, players come and go, and you just don't take it too personally when they do."

When asked whether post-match drinks between managers still went on, Maloney added: "Sometimes, yeah, that still happens.

"After Stevenage in midweek, their manager, who I didn't really know...we sat outside for about 20 minutes and just chatted.

"Sometimes it happens, sometimes the other manager is busy, sometimes the media commitments overrun...after home games, I've got lounges to do.

"But I always invite the away management to come in and have food and drink after a game, and that will be the same with Gary and his staff."

So what might be on the drinks menu?

"From our playing days...Gary's Scottish isn't he...so it was definitely Tennents, that was the drink of choice," smiled Maloney, whose side are hoping to extend their unbeaten run - and sequence of clean sheets - to four matches.

Exeter are also in good form, having beaten Stevenage 2-0 in the league last weekend, and followed it up with a 2-0 victory over Tottenham Under-21s in midweek in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy.