Wigan Athletic Chairman Dave Whelan Appoints Chris Hutchings As the Club's New Manager

Wigan have appointed assistant boss Chris Hutchings as the club's new manager after Paul Jewell resigned today - less than 24 hours after leading the club to Premiership safety. For Hutchings, who takes over following Wigan's status-preserving 2-1 win over Sheffield United, it is a case of history repeating itself after he took over the reins at Bradford from Jewell in similar circumstances in 2000.

Chairman Dave Whelan said he was certain Hutchings was the man to continue Jewell's good work and would provide financial backing to help him strengthen the squad for Wigan's third season in the Premiership. "Chris is a very capable manager," he said. "I will support him with funds to buy players."

Hutchings' spell at Bradford was as unhappy as it was brief, totalling just 12 league games and a solitary victory over Chelsea, and he left the club second bottom of the Premiership in a season in which they were eventually relegated. Two of Hutchings' signings, Stan Collymore and Benito Carbone, came in on big-money contracts that were eventually blamed by some fans for the club's subsequent financial woe.

Jewell, who has been linked with a move to Manchester City now that the Eastlands board has sacked Stuart Pearce, stepped down from his role at the JJB Stadium despite celebrating with Whelan yesterday after David Unsworth's penalty kept the Latics up and sent their opponents down. And after thanking his outgoing manager today, Whelan revealed Jewell's health had been affected during the relegation battle. "He has been really, really struggling with nerves the last few months and that's not Paul Jewell at all," he said.

"We haven't had a good season, we've had bad luck, bad decisions and it's all come together and got Paul down. He's physically drained. He told me his decision this morning and I was half expecting it. It's affected his health. He'll be back in this game, probably not with Wigan, but he'll be back.

"I asked if he'd been approached by another club or if he'd been tapped up. He said 'no, I swear on my children's lives. I'm going to have a rest.' I believe his word, he wouldn't lie to me and I wouldn't lie to him. I asked him to take a holiday but he wanted to go. He needs six months' rest I'd say."