Former West Bromwich Albion boss Steve Bruce rejected the opportunity to become Wigan Athletic's new manager following the dismissal of Kolo Toure, according to a report from Football Insider.

The Latics are currently in real danger of being relegated following a poor season under Leam Richardson and Toure, with the latter failing to win any of his games in charge before being sacked during the latter stages of last month.

They have now turned to another reasonably inexperienced head coach in Maloney who had previously plied his trade for the club before and played a key part in guiding them to their FA Cup win in 2013.

They approached another familiar face in Steve Bruce following Toure's sacking according to Football Insider, with the 62-year-old already taking charge of the Latics on two occasions.

Bruce struggled at West Brom earlier this season, making several impressive signings including John Swift, Jed Wallace and Okay Yokuslu in the summer but was unable to guide the Baggies into the promotion mix with the club sitting in the relegation zone at the time of his departure.

Enduring turbulent spells at Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Albion in recent years, that didn't seem to put off Wigan's hierarchy who were keen to appoint him. He reportedly wants to return to a "higher-level" club if he did make a return to management.

The Verdict:

Bruce doesn't deserve all of the abuse he gets on social media - but he quite clearly hasn't done enough to secure a return to management in the Championship, yet alone a team that's flying high in the division.

This is why it's a surprise that he has rejected this approach if he really wants to return to management, although you feel it may be the right time for him to retire following some turbulent times at different clubs.

Taking charge of several teams throughout his managerial career, that must have taken a toll on him and recent years have been especially difficult with the 62-year-old being heavily criticised at Villa and Newcastle.

This is why it was a surprise when he was appointed West Brom boss back in February last year, not just because he endured a terrible end to his time at St James' Park but because of the fact the 62-year-old was willing to throw himself back into the game not long after his time on Tyneside had come to an end.

A Director of Football role somewhere may be a better route for him - or he could potentially help to support a young manager at a club. Maloney could probably benefit from his experience at the DW Stadium.