Wigan Athletic FA Cup-winning hero calls it quits at 35
McArthur left Crystal Palace at the end of last season having made 253 appearances across nine years at Selhurst Park.
An FA Cup winner with Latics, McArthur made his professional debut for Hamilton in 2005 before heading south of the border to sign for Roberto Martinez in 2010.
He scored four goals in 32 Scotland caps and announced his decision by posting a message on social media on Monday morning.
“After 18 years of playing professional football, the game I love, today I am announcing my retirement,” he wrote.
“After playing for three amazing clubs in Hamilton, Wigan & Crystal Palace, and representing my country, I can only look back on the past 18 years with immense pride.
“I cannot thank the players, managers, coaches, owners, staff members and fans enough for always supporting me and being a huge part of my journey.
“A day that I never wanted to happen, but it’s a decision that I know is right for me and my family.
“I’m not entirely sure what the future holds but I am looking forward to the next chapter in my career.”
McArthur made 153 appearances during his four seasons at the DW Stadium, scoring 12 goals, before being sold to Palace in September 2014 for £7million.
A tweet from the Latics Twitter account read: “Wishing all the best in retirement to @jamesmcarthur16! Congratulations on an outstanding career – thank you for your immense efforts during your time with us and for helping bring the FA Cup to Wigan.”
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Wrexham host Wigan Athletic in the Carabao Cup at the Racecourse Ground on Tuesday night.
Wrexham swooped to land Republic of Ireland international winger James McClean from their upcoming opponents last week and were beaten 5-3 on their League Two opening day clash against MK Dons at home over the weekend.
Wigan, on the other hand, secured an impressive win 2-1 away win against Derby County at Pride Park to start the new season with a win in League One under Shaun Maloney courtesy of a brace by striker Charlie Wyke.
Both sides have a distraction from league action now as they both look to progress into the next round of the cup.
Here, a handful of our writers make their predictions for the game…
Harry Mail
“Wrexham’s loss against MK Dons was a rude awakening for them and they won’t get it all their own way this season. They still need a few more signings after a really quiet summer so far following their promotion from the National League as they seem to be a bit short in certain areas.
“Wigan’s confidence will be sky high after their impressive win at Derby County and they will be looking to keep their momentum going. The outcome of this clash depends on what line-ups both sides put out.
“However, based on the weekend’s results and the fact they were playing three leagues above their rivals last term, I can see Wigan becoming the latest team to overcome the Red Dragons on their own patch.”
“Both Wigan and Wrexham had unexpected opening day results in my eyes. I expected Wigan to struggle and I expected Wrexham to flourish, but it looks like both could be in for surprising seasons.
“I still think Wrexham will come good this season – whether or not promotion can be achieved remains to be seen, but I think they’ll do well upon their return to the Football League.
“I think we could see some strong sides fielded tomorrow given how it’s the start of the season and everyone’s fresh, and should that be the case then I think Wigan will come out on top.”
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