Wigan Athletic kick off recruitment with capture of Bayern Munich centre-half

The 20-year-old, who came through the ranks at Celtic before moving to Germany in 2019, becomes Maloney's first signing of the summer.

And the Latics boss believes the swoop is proof the club is back on its feet after a difficult few months under the previous owners.

“Liam is a very positive signing for us," he said. "I’ve known of Liam’s talent for a long time back to when he was at Celtic.

"The fact we can attract a player of his calibre from Bayern Munich says a lot about this football club and the direction we want to go in.

"Liam’s an aggressive modern-day defender who is also very good on the ball.

"He will be a fantastic addition for us and I’m looking forward to helping him develop.“

Morrison won a total of 20 caps for Scotland at Under-16s and Under-17s level, wearing the captain's armband.

After moving to Germany, Morrison established himself as a regular for Bayern Munich II over the last two seasons, penning a new two-year contract earlier this year and making his first appearance in a Bundesliga matchday squad in May.

He was named as one of the best 60 young talents in football back in 2020 by the Guardian, and admits he can't wait to get started at Wigan.

“I’m absolutely delighted to be here," he said. "I can’t wait to get started and play at this massive stadium in front of all the Wigan fans.

“For me, it’s important to start getting first-team football at my age.

"Wigan is a huge club - and you cannot downplay Wigan like it’s nothing compared to Bayern.

“I really wanted to come to Wigan as soon as I heard of the interest.

"With the new owners coming in - and Shaun Maloney starting his first full season in charge - there feels like there is a lot of positivity in the club.”

He’ll wear the No.4 shirt during his time with Latics.