Anthony Pilkington leaves Premier League strugglers Cardiff City

Republic of Ireland international Anthony Pilkington has agreed to leave Cardiff City to join Championship side Wigan Athletic.

Pilkington has yet to play for Cardiff this season after making just eight appearances last year during their promotion from the Championship. The winger was deemed surplus to requirements by manager Neil Warnock and joins Wigan with a desire to repay the faith shown in him by Latics boss Paul Cook.

“It’s brilliant to be here,” Pilkington told the club's website. “It all happened pretty quickly during the week, but I’m delighted to have the chance to come here and be part of what the manager is building. “I’ve had an indifferent year, so I’m really grateful to be here and to be given a chance to get back to playing football and I’m hoping to bring goals to the team, it’s something I’ve done from positions behind the striker and out wide throughout my career. “I was disappointed not to be featuring for Cardiff and I feel like I did well in the games I played for them last season, but Paul Cook and his staff have shown faith in me and I want to repay that faith.”

Pilkington has some prior history with some of his new teammates and also joins fellow Ireland international Darron Gibson at the club.

“When you get to my age, even though I’m only 30,” Pilkington joked, “you do come across a lot of the boys you’ve played with already. I played with Gary (Roberts) for a long time at Huddersfield and Joe Garner for a short time there. I also played with Vaughany at Norwich City. “I know a few of the boys and I know of a lot of the squad. There’s a lot of quality in the squad and I’m looking forward to getting involved in training and integrating into the group.”

Following on from Canice Carroll's move to Swindon, Conor Shaughnessy's to Hearts, Paudie O'Connor's to Bradford and Jimmy Dunne's to Sunderland, Pilkington becomes the fifth Irish player to change clubs this January.