Shaun Maloney: Wigan Athletic boss says ownership has assured him over club's future

Former Wigan Athletic winger Shaun Maloney took over as the club's manager on 28 January after Kolo Toure's sacking

Wigan Athletic boss Shaun Maloney says he has been assured over the club's future following a meeting in Bahrain with the club's owners.

The club blamed liquidity issues over wages eventually being paid late, while CEO Mal Brannigan stepped down.

Chairman Talal Al Hammad met with Wigan fans and staff earlier this week in order to provide further clarity.

"It's really important I had that meeting and had that open dialogue," Maloney told BBC Radio Manchester.

"They have given me assurances but we will only see that in time. I'm fully understanding of what they're going through themselves but it will be over the next coming weeks and months that we will see that stability.

"It's very difficult to say here that everything is fully assured and we have the confidence. When I speak to the chairman and the owner I got that confidence and assurance but what I'm really hopeful we get is that in the next week and months we are really quiet and stable.

"We're going to have to fight for the next four or five weeks but beyond that we have to put things in place and rebuild certain structures and live within our means."

The club were were docked three points by the English Football League after their payment issues, with the Latics' players issuing an open letter saying they had been "disrespected" by the club just prior to their wages being paid.

Al Hammad said late wage payment would "never happen again" but Maloney says he has now "faced up" to the club's issues.

The club are now bottom of the Championship table and eight points adrift of safety with eight games remaining and are facing relegation back to League One just 12 months after their promotion from the third tier.

"The chairman has been very open with supporters since he's been here and I have to give him huge credit for doing that. It's a hard time but he faced up and I hope now there's big stability and we move forward together," Maloney added.

"The positive part of going to Bahrain was sitting with the chairman and owner and really meeting [owner] Mr Al-Jasmi for the first time and connecting what we both want for the club in the long term and how we see the short-term ideas."