Chairman Dave Whelan is adamant he has every right to offer new Wigan manager Malky Mackay a route back into football despite a potential Football Association charge hanging over the Scot.

Mackay was named as the successor to Uwe Rosler yesterday afternoon just three months after he had admitted sending text messages which he deemed were "disrespectful of other cultures".

The FA is continuing to investigate the details of those text messages and may speed up their findings now Mackay is back in employment, but Whelan is confident there will be no further sanctions.

"I've read and listened to what Malky did and he's been totally up front and honest," said Whelan.

"What he did and what he said I can't see it (the investigation) really going too far. He's been up front, he's said he's done that and 'I'm very sorry'."

Whelan disclosed that he had shared conversations with the FA regarding Mackay's potential appointment and is confident that they can now draw a line under the topic.

But the Latics chairman went on to reveal they had taken steps to safeguard themselves should the FA throw the book at the 43-year-old.

"We have spoken to the FA, there's nothing happened, I don't think there's anything in the pipeline," Whelan said.

"I don't think there's anything really to investigate but, that is in the contract, we have protected the football club and Malky has been absolutely 100 per cent open about it all.

"He admits what he did and he's apologised for what he said. I accept that fully and totally. I just want to get on with the great game of playing football."

However, while Whelan and Mackay may want to move on from an issue which is understood to have scuppered the Scot's chances of landing the Crystal Palace job in August, anti-discrimination body Kick It Out claimed the club had "disregarded" the FA's ongoing investigation and called on the country's governing body to clarify their position.

For his own part, Mackay did his best to clear the dark clouds which continue to hang over his head and divulged that he will continue to attend an educational programme based around diversity.

"I made mistakes," he noted.

"I'm absolutely not racist. I have taken on an educational programme in terms of diversity and that will be ongoing.

"I will continue to learn and educate myself going forward."

Mackay's first game in charge will be at home to Middlesbrough this weekend.

While Kick it Out were critical of the Sky Bet Championship club, local Wigan MP Lisa Nandy insisted she was satisfied that the grievances which she aired over Mackay in an open letter last week had been taken into account.

She was also invited to meet Mackay by Whelan, who reiterated he felt he had appointed the right figurehead for a team currently dwelling in the division's bottom three.

"I have invited our MP to any football match she wishes to come to," the Latics chairman stated.

"Come and watch the match, enjoy it, dine with us afterwards. Whether she'll take it up or not, I don't know. I hope she will and if she will I'll introduce her to Malky.

"She is invited, she is a friend. I've only met her once in my life and I'm looking forward to saying 'hello' to her again and I'm sure Malky would say 'hello' to her.

"All her comments I've taken on board and I respect them but I have to make the decisions which I think are in the best interest of Wigan Athletic and our town of Wigan. That is exactly what I've done in appointing Malky."