Barrow AFC has announced their first signing with Wigan Athletic midfielder Scott Smith joining The Bluebirds.

The 24-year-old midfielder will join on a free transfer from July 1, subject to EFL approval after putting pen to paper on a two-year deal at The SO Legal Stadium.

Head Coach Andy Whing also said: “We’ve been targeting Scott for quite a while now, and he played a lot of football in League One last season, he’s got a lot of the qualities I think we need.

“Scott loves a tackle, and I think the fans will love the way he plays and the aggressiveness within his game, and I think he’ll be a fantastic signing for us.”

Speaking about joining Barrow, Smith said: “It feels really good to be here, I’ve had a great morning up at Barrow with my agent, the manager, and the people behind the scenes at the club, so everyone’s welcomed me really nicely and I look forward to getting going.”

Smith has spent the entirety of his career to date at The Brick Community Stadium, where in total he made 94 appearances for Wigan, scoring two goals.

The dynamic midfielder also came through the youth ranks at Athletic, totalling an impressive 12-year association with his boyhood side.

He made his professional debut for his hometown team against Hull City in the Carabao Cup in August 2022.

Smith added: “I think the interest I’ve had from Barrow and the way they’ve gone about it put them head and shoulders above the rest as I’ve had a lot of offers, but this one was the one that massively stood out to me.”

Arguably, his real breakthrough season came in the 2023/2024 campaign, when he was selected as the Away Supporters’ Player of the Year.

Last season, the former Wales youth International played 46 times for Ryan Lowe’s side, including 39 appearances in England’s third tier.