Holt lured to Wigan by European football

Grant Holt has revealed that the opportunity to play European football was the key factor in his decision to join Wigan Athletic.

The 32-year-old striker opted to make the switch from Norwich to the DW Stadium on Monday, signing a three-year deal to join the Championship club.

Holt became new manager Owen Coyle’s seventh signing of the close-season, and he admitted that the chance to compete in the UEFA Europa League, which Wigan qualified for by virtue of their FA Cup win, convinced him to drop down a division.

“The Europa League was a massive pull for me,” Holt told BBC Radio Cumbria.

“It’s something I’ve never done in my career and I’m hoping we can have a good spell in that.”

Holt spent four years with Norwich, helping guide them from League One to the Premier League, and he stressed it was a difficult decision to leave Carrow Road.

“It’s hard to leave Norwich because I’ve had four unbelievable years there. It’s tough to leave but I was ready for a new challenge,” Holt added.

“This is a great move for me. I’ve got a three-year deal with a club that wants to get back into the Premier League and a lot of people know I’ve been keen to get back up north as I’ve got older.

“Hopefully at some point, we’ll either get them (Norwich) in the cup or we’ll go up and we’ll play them in the Premier League, so I can get the chance to go back and hopefully I’ll get a good welcome.”