A non-league club for the first 46 years of the club’s existence, Wigan Athletic were first elected to the Football League in 1978, they were promoted to the Premier League for the first time in the club’s history in 2005.
Against the odds and expectation, the Latics spent eight years in the top flight- reaching the Carling Cup final in 2006 and memorably winning the FA Cup in 2013 in a dramatic finish against Manchester City.
Since dropping out of the top flight in 2013, they have regularly switched between the Championship and League One. Using transfermarkt, we look at the club’s all-time leading scorers.
5 Will Keane (198 appearances, 50 goals)
A product of the Manchester United academy alongside brother Michael, he spent a month on loan at Wigan alongside Nick Powell in late 2013. He returned on a permanent basis in 2020 after spells at Hull City and Ipswich Town.
He initially joined on a short term deal as the club were rebuilding, but ended up spending three years at the club. In 2021-22 he finished as League One top scorer with 26 goals, helping the Latics win the title.
He left Wigan in 2023 and joined Preston North End. He has played international football for Republic of Ireland at senior level having represented England at youth level- the reverse of Michael.
4 Simon Haworth (126 appearances, 52 goals)
Cardiff born Haworth joined Wigan in 1998 after spells at his home town club and Coventry City. He was the first player to score for the club at the JJB Stadium (now known as the Brick Community Stadium).
In his first season at the club he helped the side win the EFL Trophy, beating Millwall in the final at the Old Wembley Stadium. He left the club in February 2002 to join Tranmere Rovers, where he retired three years later.
After his retirement he decided to focus on business ventures, although did have spells in management with Eagley, Clitheroe and Stalybridge Celtic.
2= Will Grigg (150 appearances, 65 goals)
Grigg previously played for Walsall, Brentford and MK Dons before signing for Wigan in 2015. In his first season at the club he finished as League One top scorer with 25 goals as the Latics won the title at the first attempt.
His performances earned him a place in Northern Ireland’s squad for UEFA Euro 2016, where the chant ‘Will Grigg’s on fire’ to the tune of Freed From Desire by Gala became popular after first being uploaded to YouTube by Wigan fan Sean Kennedy.
Grigg spent four years at Wigan before joining Sunderland. He now plays for Chesterfield, who he helped win the National League title last season.
2= Nathan Ellington (143 appearances, 65 goals)
When Ellington scored on his debut for Wigan against Chesterfield in 2002, it was most definitely a sign of things to come. Over the next three years he would prove to be a key player, forming a formidable partnership with former Bristol Rovers team mate Jason Koumas.
He was the top scorer in the Championship in 2004-05 as Wigan finished second to gain promotion to the Premier League. He was named in the Championship team of the season, alongside Koumas.
However, it would be for West Bromwich Albion that Ellington would get his first taste of the Premier League the following season. He later moved on to Watford and Ipswich Town, retiring in 2018 at non-league side Egerton, where he would later become assistant manager.
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1 Andy Liddell (230 appearances, 71 goals)
Liddell first arrived at Wigan in 1998 having spent seven years at Barnsley, where he had played for the Tykes during their sole Premier League season, setting up a famous winner against Liverpool.
He was voted Wigan’s Player of the Season for 1999-2000 and was the club’s leading scorer in 2001-02. He was the club’s longest serving player at the time of his departure in 2004, when he joined Sheffield United.
He would later also play for Oldham Athletic, Bradford Park Avenue and Rotherham United. After retiring from playing in 2011, he has worked as a fitness coach for Ipswich Town, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Rapid Bucharest.