Former Hibs and Wigan boss open to becoming next Dundee manager as move could prove second time lucky

A former Hibs and Wigan manager is in contention to become the boss of Dundee.

The Dark Blues made a brutal decision to sack Tony Docherty alongside the rest of his coaching staff at the end of the Premiership season. It came just 24 hours after he secured their safety in the division by a 2-0 scoreline at St Johnstone.

Attentions are now turning to who could come next and it’s believed that Shaun Maloney is one man in the frame. He has not been in charge of a club in Scotland since leaving Hibs and was last with Wigan, also carrying coaching experience at the Belgian national team.

Shaun Maloney to Dundee latest

It is thought that the interest is there and backed up with Maloney being interested in discussions. He did have talks about becoming the Dundee manager in 2022 but the job ended up going to Gary Bowyer who got the club out of the Championship. Maloney had less than a year in charge at Easter Road, as he arrived at the back end of 2021. He only lasted until the following April in what proved to be a difficult spell.

He returned to Wigan for his next crack at management in January 2023, having won the FA Cup with the Latics. He was a stabilising figure amid chaos and even though relegation beckoned for them under his tenure, he did keep Wigan in League One despite an eight-point deduction. A 2-1 defeat to Reading in March had the club just six points above the relegation zone and he was sacked.

Wigan’s statement read: “Shaun was appointed Wigan Athletic Manager in January 2023 during what would be an extremely turbulent period in the Club’s history. Whilst he could not prevent the Club’s relegation from the EFL Championship, Shaun ensured that the Club returned to the third tier with fighting spirit. Furthermore, through a change of ownership in the summer of 2023, Shaun stuck by the Club and helped us overcome an eight-point deduction and a squad overhaul to retain our 2023/24 League One status comfortably with matches to spare.

“Shaun has also helped develop a number of our young players, some of whom have moved on to further their careers to the mutual benefit of the Football Club. However, it cannot be overlooked that the current League One campaign has clearly not progressed as anticipated. Home results and performances, in particular, have been disappointing and below the standard at which our supporters expect. For this reason, the Board felt that it was time for a change.”

What Shaun Maloney thought of Hibs

Speaking to World Football Index about his time at Hibs, Maloney said: “The opportunity to manage Hibs arose in late 2021 and I was excited by the opportunity and my initial meetings. It was a huge learning experience for me during the four months that I was in charge and one that I know will make me stronger and wiser. I loved everything on the football side of things because the players were fantastic.

“They bought into everything that I asked from them and showed huge courage to go to the historically hardest stadiums and against the best teams in the league and try to impose our style on them. I knew that I had to do this from the very first match as I saw these months as building blocks towards moulding a team that had a mentality and way of playing to compete and beat the best in our league. I also changed the training periodisation which I knew the players would find difficult at the beginning.

“However, it brought big improvements in the team physically in a short period which was most evident in the performances of Kevin Nisbet. Unfortunately, just a matter of weeks later, Kevin suffered an ACL injury which weakened the team to such an extent that I knew immediately finishing in the top six was in doubt. I also wanted to bring the overall environment close to the elite levels I had experienced at the different clubs and federations that I had worked at previously.

“All players were extremely open to new ideas and I am very appreciative to them for the effort and time they gave to me and my staff. To experience the semi-final of the Scottish Cup within four months as a coach, and the outstanding performance, despite the game itself resulting in a difficult defeat, was another sign to me that with the right attacking profiles, along with the development of the younger players, we would be able to go toe to toe with the strongest clubs in the country the following season and seasons to come.

“Hibs is a club with great history and the supporters were always respectful and knowledgeable about what I was trying to achieve as I saw first-hand at the many supporters’ functions I attended. I want to pay a particular thank you to the away fans as they sung my name even in the difficult moments. They always backed the team as was shown by the way they applauded the team for their performance after a sore semi-final loss. I was clear on the foundations that I wanted to put in place at the club both on and off the pitch. I knew we would improve the team defensively with the profile of players we brought in and also the players already at the club adapted very quickly to a completely different defensive structure and principles.

“We drew a lot of games but I knew the direction I wanted to take the team. With the attacking profiles that I wanted to sign for the club, I am absolutely positive would have allowed the team to compete against the best teams in the league in the biggest stadiums. However, I left the club when I did and I hope that the club and the fans can go on to be as successful as possible in the future because there are many good people who support the club.