Ex-Wigan Athletic boss David Sharpe on why Whelan family '˜had to sell' club

Sharpe stepped down from his role last month when his granddad, Dave Whelan, sold the club to Hong Kong-based company International Entertainment Corporation.

The 27-year-old said the family ploughed £10m a year into the club.

He told Jim White’s Talk Sport radio show: “I’m glad my family are out of it now because the levels of finance in the Championship are scary.

“It’s only going to get worse, I can’t see a good future for Championship teams outside the parachute payment clubs.

“You’re expected to compete but financially you just can’t - it’s going to be a real struggle I feel.

“It was costing us £10m a year to keep it going, and that was just wages. And that was bottom five, bottom six wages in the Championship.

“It’s frightening, so we had to sell it - it needs good investment and hopefully that comes.”