'˜We built a squad for the future'

The feeling of euphoria in the town at present is in stark contrast to this time last year, when Latics had suffered relegation to the third tier and virtually all of the playing squad moved on.

However, the turnaround has been little short of incredible, and the Latics CEO says the achievement in regaining Championship status at the first attempt under rookie boss Gary Caldwell should not be under-estimated.

“There were no guarantees when we dropped out of the Championship that we’d be successful in returning at the first attempt,” Jackson told the Evening Post.

“We had a team of players, some of whom didn’t want to play in League One, some of whom spoke to us immediately and expressed a desire not to be here.

“We had to build a brand new team, and that was difficult for Gary.

“But the chemistry he’s been able to generate, with the players the club recruited for him, is testament to his managerial skills.

“The good thing is that most of the squad is contracted to be here beyond next season, so we are building a squad for the future - not just to get promoted.”