“Safety was the first priority and achieving 50 points, against Blackpool, was a big moment,” he told Radio Manchester after the final game of the season, a 2-0 win over Bristol Rovers.
“I really didn’t like the next two or three games, which felt like ‘objective achieved, season done’ and when I saw the teams round about us, and the points difference, I just wanted to finish in that top half.
“Sometimes it gets forgotten because of how good the players have been. When you think back to pre-season we had 16 kids, with players handing in their notice and walking for free.
“When you look at what the really big boys – you have Everton and Forest, and Reading in our league – have had to deal with and what we’ve had to deal with, our players have to take huge credit.”
Maloney was greeted as a hero by the Wigan fans as he did a lap of honour with his players at the DW Stadium and he compared the emotion of that moment to his days with Celtic.
“It meant a lot, it really did,” he said. “Everyone keeps saying ‘thank you’ to me around this club but it works both ways – a few years ago I came here at 28, hadn’t played for three years and this club saved my career so I’m still indebted to them.”