Charles N'Zogbia's colourful Newcastle United career has finally come to an end after his swap deal with Wigan Athletic’s Ryan Taylor was completed this afternoon.
The 22-year-old Frenchman and his English counterpart, 24, have switched clubs, with the Magpies - in addition - receiving an undisclosed cash sum, understood to be in excess of £6million.
N'Zogbia's departure comes days after he vowed never to play for the club again in protest at manager Joe Kinnear mispronouncing his surname as ‘Insomnia’ in a television interview.
N'Zogbia becomes Wigan's record signing for an as-yet undisclosed fee, and Latics boss Steve Bruce is confident he can make a big impression at the JJB Stadium.
Bruce told the club's website: ‘I think this boy can be a really good player for us.
‘He's lightning fast going forward but can also play at the back and he fills that left-sided role we've been looking for.
‘He is young but he has experience. For a boy of his age to have played well over 100 Premier League games is rare, so with his best years ahead of him, he is exactly the type of player we need for the long-term building of Wigan Athletic.
‘I'm delighted to have him on board.’
After the deal was agreed, N'Zogbia paid tribute to the Newcastle fans but confirmed he was ‘really unhappy’ with Kinnear.
‘The best thing for me was to move on,’ he told Setanta Sports News. ‘I didn't want to play under that manager anymore.
‘I will always hold the Newcastle fans in the highest regard and wish them all the best in the future.’
N'Zogbia, meanwhile, has backed Wigan to secure European football next season following their goalless draw with Champions League-chasing Aston Villa on Saturday.
He continued: ‘I think they're really strong. Their performance against Aston Villa showed what they can do. I think they can qualify for Europe this season.’
