EMMERSON BOYCE has found a new home.
Wigan’s loss is now Blackpool’s gain after the English League One club signed the former Latics legend to a one-year deal on Friday.
The 35-year-old Barbados captain and defender announced the move via his Instagram account by posting a picture of him holding up the club’s traditional orange jersey at Blackpool’s home ground.
Apparently Boyce appeared in a recent preseason game for the Seasiders against Accrington Stanley over the weekend, according to the Luton on Sunday news.
A veteran of nine years and 298 appearances for Wigan, Boyce hinted that he probably played his last at for the Latics after receiving a less than ideal play-for-pay offer from the management of Wigan Athletic.
It was the truly sad end to a great Wigan career for the fan favourite and captain, who led the side to their greatest moment in club history when they defeated Premier League champs Manchester City to win the prestigious FA Cup.
But Wigan was also demoted in that same bitter-sweet 2013 season, dropping to the Championship flight before falling all the way down to League One.
However, Blackpool just recently suffered a demotion from the Championship flight too, leading to a slew of offseason signings from manager Neil McDonald, including that of Boyce.
Boyce’s departure from Wigan came as a surprise taking into account his relationship with owner Dave Whelan, who owns property in Barbados and recently visited the country with Boyce to showcase the FA Cup.
“I started off at Luton very young and in these sorts of leagues so I’ll talk to them quite a lot, they’re eager to learn and they want to show everybody how good they are,” said Boyce on the team’s website. (JM)
