Marc-Antoine Fortune Joins Wigan On A 2 Year Deal After West Brom Departure

Fortune joins Wigan on a 2 year deal after leaving the Hawthorns.

Marc Antoine Fortune has joined Owen Coyle’s summer transfer spree as the former baggies striker joins Wigan on a 2 year deal. The 32 year old was welcomed to the DW Stadium yesterday in which he became Coyle’s 6th signing after replacing Roberto Martinez last month.

Fortune has experienced great spells with clubs such as Celtic, Brest, Utrecht, AS Nancy, Lille and even Doncaster Rovers as the striker has made a total of 138 British appearances, netting 27 times. As the Frenchman is not a natural goalscorer, he offers strength. experience and also versatility as he can play on the wing or even sit further back into midfield. After having a fantastic loan season for the baggies in 2009, Fortune signed for Scottish champions Celtic in 2010 for a fee of 3.5 million pounds which saw him spend 1 year at the club. However the Frenchman made a swift return to the Hawthorns in which he made 62 league appearances in 3 seasons.

After falling out of favour in the Baggies squad, Fortune decided to leave the club earlier this week in order to find regular first team football as Wigan came immediately calling. Due to the likes of Long and newly signed Anelka being highly depended on, the 32 year old’s services were not needed on a regular basis as Clarke still stated it as “a huge loss to the squad”.

Coyle stated yesterday: “To bring a player of such calibre to the football club is a great piece of business. He’s shown his qualities at the very highest level and, when I spoke to Steve Clarke at West Brom, he told me how he didn’t want to lose him, which goes to show how important he has been at his former club and proof that he has the capabilities to be a Premier League forward, never mind a Championship one.

“So I’m really exciting to bring him in, the first of the strikers to arrive, and I’m sure he’ll bring a great deal to the team. He’s powerful, can play anywhere across the front line and has pace to hurt defences.”

As Fortune only bagged 2 goals in last season’s campaign, he is definitely a player that will be missed in the squad as the fans percieved him as the reliable figure that was always present amongst the team. He joins defenders James Perch, Thomas Rogne, Stephen Crainey and goalkeeper Scott Carson as Wigan are looking like a very dangerious side for the new Championship campaign.

 

Crainey Joins Wigan On A 1 Year Deal

Crainey signs 1 year deal at the DW Stadium.

Stephen Crainey has completed his move to the DW Stadium from Blackpool on a 1 year deal. The 32 year old Scottsman rejected the chance to re-sign for the tangerines as he felt that his time was up at Bloomfield Road. Crainey signed for Blackpool back in 2007 and believed moving to Wigan was an opportunity that he could not turn down.

The Scottish international was keen on linking up with fellow patriot Owen Coyle as they look to re-gain Premier League status through the 2013/2014 campaign. Crainey previously stated earlier today: “I’ve played against Wigan Athletic on a few occasions so I know how much the fans back their team and I’m sure they’ll do the same this season which is what we need to produce the performances on the pitch”.

This makes it the Latics’ 2nd signing of the summer as free transfer Chris McCann was previously brought in from Coyle’s old club Burnley. Wigan will be looking to seal the signing of Celtic defender Thomas Rogne as he is days away to also completing his move to the DW stadium. A good signing for Wigan fans as this defender brings stability and bags of experience to the team.