Shaun Maloney exclusive: 'I was in a bad place, so I spoke to Sir Alex Ferguson – he helped me see things differently'

Sir Alex Ferguson offering pearls of wisdom to fellow managers is nothing new. The legendary Manchester United manager was known throughout his career for being a sounding board to less experienced gaffers.

But football fans will be thrilled to know he’s still at it today, more than 10 years after his own retirement. In an exclusive chat with FourFourTwo, current Wigan Athletic manager Shaun Maloney revealed how he reached out to his compatriot following his sacking by Hibernian in 2022, after less than a year in the job.

“Things started well at Hibs, but we lost some of our best attacking players in the January,” Maloney tells FFT. “My relationship with people behind the scenes became strained and I left after four months in the job. I was in a bad place after that and spoke to Sir Alex Ferguson. He told me that it might end up being the best thing to ever happen to me, which I couldn’t comprehend at the time. But he was right – it had been a huge learning curve – and those words helped me.”

Maloney became Wigan manager in January 2023. The former midfielder, who won the FA Cup with the Latics as a player in 2013, has since managed to get his managerial career back on track – even following relegation in his first six months in charge.

When Maloney arrived, Wigan had just been slapped with points deductions over their financial mismanagement and were mired in a relegation scrap, making it a hugely challenging job for a young gaffer.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

“[Previous manager] Kolo Toure had only been in the job for a few weeks and the aim was simple when I arrived: to stop leaking so many goals and win some games,” Maloney recalls. “We wanted to stay in the Championship and did improve, but it wasn’t enough in the end. By the time March came around, off-field problems made survival impossible.

“It’s been really difficult at times. The toughest time was when people weren’t being paid. One of the focal points for the new owners has been trying to make things more sustainable, while trying to get the club on the right track in terms of football. We all want Wigan supporters to have a healthy team to follow.”

Wigan have turned a corner this term, getting their finances in order while sitting comfortably in mid-table in League One despite boasting a young squad. One of the standout games this season was their 2-0 defeat to Manchester United in the FA Cup Third round. Critics felt the Latics had given a very good account of themselves against top class opposition.

“We knew they’d hog the ball, but I was proud of our display,” remembers Maloney. “I didn’t get much of a chance to chat to Erik ten Hag, but I asked if I could come over later in the season and watch how he does things. He was open to that, so it’s something we’ll definitely arrange. I want to learn from more experienced managers and am really looking forward to it.”