Irish international James McClean has returned to the DW Stadium on a one-year deal after the Latics paid an undisclosed fee to Stoke City.

This move perhaps comes as no surprise as the 32-year-old has fallen down the pecking order at the Bet 365 stadium and has been deemed surplus to requirements under Michael O'Neill.

The Irish winger returns for his second spell at the club after he left six years ago to join West Bromwich Albion in 2015. McClean's previous spell at the Latics was a successful one, with the Derry winger picking up the player of the year accolade in the 2014/15 campaign striking a chord with the Wigan faithful.

It is hoped the winger will be available for the Latics trip to South East London as they look to pile further misery onto winless Charlton who have had a dismal start to their league campaign, picking up only one point in their first three games.

Like fellow countryman Troy Parrott, James McClean has dropped down to League One in a bid to get some first-team football to better his chance of a place in the Republic of Ireland's squad for the World Cup qualifiers. The Boys in Green resume their qualifying campaign on the 1st September as they travel to the Algarve to face Portugal and Troy Parrott has staked a great claim for a spot in the side scoring twice in his first three games for MK Dons.

The Verdict:

This move is a perfect one for McClean at this stage of his career.

It is pivotal that the winger gets first-team football in order to remain in the Republic of Ireland picture for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

It would also be a great benefit to McClean that he has previously played for the Latics and has already built a successful rapport with the fans, meaning settling in should not be a problem.

This move should benefit both parties as the 32-year-old's experience and recognized quality in the divisions above will be integral as the Latics look to navigate a grueling league campaign.