Thank you! – Wigan Athletic pays tribute to captain Darikwa as he leaves club

By UK Media

• Wigan Athletic captain Tendayi Darikwa leaves the Club after two-and-a-half seasons at the DW Stadium
• Darikwa, 31, featured in 116 matches for Latics and scored two goals

UK: Wigan Athletic can confirm that captain and Zimbabwe international Tendayi Darikwa will leave the Football Club at the end of his existing contract on 30 June 2023.

He heads the list of six senior players who will leave Wigan Athletic when their current contracts expire this summer.

Wigan were relegated to League One after finishing bottom of the Championship.

Darikwa, 31, made over a century of appearances for Latics following his arrival from Nottingham Forest in January 2021.

After overcoming a knee injury that kept him out for an extended period, Darikwa made his competitive debut for Latics in a 3-3 draw at Rochdale, before making a further 25 league appearances to help the Football Club heroically avoid relegation to League Two despite spending the majority of the season in administration.

Having led by example throughout a testing period of real adversity, Darikwa was handed the Club captaincy at the start of the 2021/22 campaign.

It was a huge honour for the Zimbabwe international, and he clearly relished his newfound responsibility at the DW Stadium.

He made a total of 51 appearances across all competitions as Latics proudly lifted the League One title on the final day of the season.

Darikwa made a positive contribution at both ends of the field, as in addition to providing the defence with a solid platform to build from, the right-back scored vital goals in the victories over Charlton Athletic and Shrewsbury Town.

The 31-year-old made 39 appearances in all competitions last term, memorably making his 100th appearance for Latics against Luton Town in January this year.

Away from the field, Darikwa always took an extremely proactive approach to give back to the local community, participating in a number of initiatives hosted by the Wigan Athletic Community Trust, including the annual Christmas visits and joining in at soccer camps across the Wigan Borough.

💙 We would like to pay a special tribute to our outgoing captain Tendayi Darikwa for his excellent service over the last two-and-a-half years…

🤝 All the best for the future, Skip ©️#wafc 🔵⚪️ #BELIEVE

— Wigan Athletic (@LaticsOfficial) May 23, 2023