Graeme Shinnie: Former captain returns to Aberdeen on loan from Wigan

Shinnie made 188 appearances during his first spell with Aberdeen and was appointed captain prior to the 2017 Scottish Cup final

Former captain Graeme Shinnie has returned to Aberdeen on loan from Wigan Athletic until the end of the season.

The 31-year-old midfielder moved to Wigan 12 months ago, helping them win promotion to the Championship, and has 18 months remaining on his contract.

After 188 appearances, he left Aberdeen as a free agent in the summer of 2019, joining Derby County.

“He has great leadership qualities and will bring a wealth of experience to the squad,” said manager Jim Goodwin.

“Graeme is a player who knows the club well, he is aware of the level of expectation here and despite being away from Pittodrie for a few years he obviously still has close connections with the place and a number of the staff.”

Shinnie has featured in 19 league matches for Wigan this season, but manager Kolo Toure is keen to reshape his squad in the battle against relegation.

Capped six times for Scotland, Shinnie was a league runner-up to Celtic in three of his four years at Pittodrie.

He played in three cup final defeats for the Dons too, losing to Celtic on each occasion.

Aberdeen-born Shinnie began his career with Inverness Caledonian Thistle, famously leading them to 2015 Scottish Cup final glory in his final game for the Highland club.