Wigan Athletic supporters will have been surprised by this Will Keane aspect: View | OneFootball

League One side Wigan Athletic first signed Will Keane on loan from his former club Manchester United back in November 2013, during the Latics' first season back in the Football League, following an eight-year stint in the Premier League.

During his first spell at the DW Stadium, the then 20-year-old failed to make a single goal contribution in four appearances, before joiningQueens Park Rangers on loan in February 2014, where he would make 10 appearances, but continued to draw blanks in the goalscoring department.

The forward went on to score three goals in a loan spell with Sheffield Wednesday during the 2014/15 season, which was still his joint best Championship tally until the 2023/24 season, in which he had reached double figures with current club Preston North End.

Keane left Old Trafford on a permanent basis in 2016, as he signed for Hull City for an undisclosed fee, but he only scored one goal in a three-year spell with the Tigers, before joining Ipswich Town on loan in January 2019.

He signed permanently for the Tractor Boys ahead of the 2019/20 League One campaign, but managed just six goals in 23 third tier appearances for the Suffolk outfit.

Keane made his return to the Latics on a short term contract in October 2020, when the club were managed by John Sheridan, and marooned in a League One relegation battle amid administration.

Quite frankly, the Greater Manchester outfit were going through the darkest period in their history, and will not have been overly concerned with his questionable goalscoring record, but they will have been grateful to secure his services.

Former boss, Sheridan, who brought Keane back to the DW Stadium, departed the Latics in favour of Swindon Town in November 2020, but the former Man United man would renew his terms until the end of the 2020/21 season.

Following Sheridan's departure, former assistant manager Leam Richardson would oversee the rest of the 2020/21 season for the DW Stadium outfit.

Keane was key to Wigan's survival effort

Despite their off-field woes, the Latics would avoid a likely relegation to League Two at the end of the 2020/21 campaign, as they finished in 20th position, just one point clear of the relegation zone.

Richardson was the mastermind behind an incredible survival effort, but the goalscoring efforts of Keane also played a key role, as he scored 10 goals and provided five assists in League One, much to the surprise of Latics fans given his record at previous clubs.

The forward had clearly discovered a dangerous touch which he had been unable to find at his former clubs, and the 2020/21 season would not be the last campaign in which the Latics would benefit from Keane's exploits in front of goal.

Keane fired Wigan to the 2022 League One title

After spearheading a great escape effort the previous campaign, the striker remained in Greater Manchester for the 2021/22 campaign, a season in which he achieved something that Wigan fans would not have expected when he first re-joined their club in October 2020.

Keane finished the 2021/22 campaign as League One's golden boot winner, with an impressive tally of 26 goals in 44 league appearances as the Latics lifted the third tier title following a strong campaign in which Richardson's men earned 92 points.

The forward would go on to make his Republic of Ireland debut in 2022, during his time with the Latics, and he went on to score 12 goals in the 2022/23 Championship campaign, but he could not prevent his side from relegation, before joining Preston ahead of the 2023/24 season.

Although they may never have expected the forward to have such a lethal eye for goal, Latics fans will forever be grateful for Keane's time at the club, while the 2021/22 season will live long in the memories of the DW Stadium faithful.