Wigan Athletic chairman David Sharpe has backed new manager Gary Caldwell to deliver despite his relative lack of managerial experience.

Caldwell was earlier appointed following the sacking of Malky Mackay, with Wigan currently eight points adrift of safety in the Championship.

"He knows who we are as a club and shares the same football philosophy. He is a natural leader who commands respect from everyone around him," said Sharpe, according to The Guardian.

"People will talk about his lack of experience, but every young coach is in the same place, there are many examples of young coaches being given opportunities and being successful.

"For me the timing was important; we will look to get a reaction in the next five games and this period crucially gives Gary a chance to look at the players in his way until the end of the season. Plus it enables us to start working now with a manager we know will be in place next season."

The Latics find themselves in 23rd position in the league standings with just five games left to play.