Wigan Athletic have had their fair share of players that have gone on to bigger and better things since leaving the club earlier in their careers. 

A classic example of this is Leighton Baines, with the full-back going on to sign for Everton in the summer of 2007, where he went on to make over 400 appearances for the Toffees in the Premier League.

Baines had previously been entering the final year of his contract at Goodison Park, but the club have recently announced that the former England defender has signed a new deal.

Speaking in an interview with Football Insider, former Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland forward Darren Bent admitted that he wouldn't be surprised to see Baines return to Wigan Athletic before he calls time on his playing career.

"I’m sure he might want to go back, I know he started at Wigan, so there’s always that hope to go back to the club he started at. A lot of these players like to go back to the clubs that they started at.

"If he ended up back at Wigan, would it surprise me? Probably not. I couldn’t see him going anywhere else outlandish, I couldn’t see him going somewhere random like Bournemouth or somewhere he’s got no need to do it.

"I think if Leighton Baines does leave Everton, it will be to somewhere that actually means something to him."

Wigan are currently sat 20th in the Championship table, and will be hoping they can pull further clear of the relegation zone when competitive action gets back under way on the weekend of the 20th June.

Can you score full marks in this higher or lower Wigan Athletic quiz? 

The Verdict: 

This isn't an unrealistic suggestion to be honest.

Baines has been a fantastic servant to Everton over the years, and you would imagine that he'll be hoping to finish his playing career at either Goodison Park or with former club Wigan Athletic.

He has shown tremendous loyalty over the years, which is something we don't often see nowadays in the professional game, which is dominated financially.

I wouldn't be surprised if this happened in the coming years, especially if Baines is to continue to struggle for consistent minutes with Everton.