By Wayne Veysey

6th Feb, 2023 | 7:04am

Revealed: Former Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce rejected Wigan Athletic approach

Steve Bruce rejected the chance to be the new Wigan Athletic manager, sources have told Football Insider.

The former Newcastle United boss was on the target list of the Championship club following the recent sacking of Kolo Toure.

Wigan contacted Bruce to ascertain his interest in taking charge of the club for the third time.

But the Championship promotion specialist, 62, knocked them back as he holds out hope of returning to management at a higher level club.

Wigan, who went on to appoint Shaun Maloney on 28 January, are bottom of the second tier and face a major battle to avoid relegation.

Bruce was sacked by West Brom on 10 October with the club sitting in 22nd place in the Championship, their lowest position for two decades.

The former Man United defender took the reigns at the Hawthorns after a turbulent two-and-a-half-year spell at boyhood club Newcastle United.

Bruce led the kept the Magpies in the Premier League during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons but oversaw a winless run at the start of his third campaign which saw him dismissed following the club’s Saudi-backed takeover in October 2021.

Bruce has managed 1032 professional football matches and taken charge of 11 different clubs.

He previously managed Wigan between April and May 2011 as well as between November 2007 and June 2009.

The Latics sacked Toure after just 59 days in the job after he failed to win any of his nine games in charge.

Wigan are next in Championship action against Blackburn Rovers on Monday night (6 February).

In other news, Newcastle United have been told to sign a Conor Gallagher alternative after source’s talks update.