Northern Ireland striker Josh Magennis joins Exeter City

Exeter City have announced the signing of Northern Ireland international striker Josh Magennis following his release from Wigan Athletic at the end of last season.

The 33-year-old forward, who made 79 appearances for his country, joins on a one-year contract.

Magennis, who has made nearly 600 appearances across the Championship, League One, League Two, and the Scottish Premiership, is manager Gary Caldwell’s second signing of the summer, following the arrival of Jack McMillan last week.

Magennis began his career as a goalkeeper in Northern Ireland before switching to an attacking role in 2008.

He joined Cardiff City's academy, signing his first professional deal in 2009.

After a loan move to Grimsby Town, he joined Aberdeen in 2010, scoring ten goals during his four-year stint. He also played for St Mirren and Kilmarnock in Scotland.

In 2016, Magennis joined Charlton Athletic, scoring 20 times in 81 appearances. A year with Bolton was followed by a successful spell at Hull City, where he scored 26 times in 88 games and helped the team gain promotion in the 2020-21 season with 19 goals.

Magennis joined Wigan Athletic in 2021, again securing promotion in his second season with the club. He played just under 100 times for the Latics, including a hat trick in the EFL Trophy last September. He scored eight times in League One last season.

Internationally, Magennis has netted eleven goals for Northern Ireland.

"This has been in the works for a while, and the communication has been nothing but positive throughout, so it feels really good to get it over the line," said Magennis. "The ambition of the club really sold it to me, seeing that there is such a young and dynamic squad."

Manager Gary Caldwell expressed his satisfaction with the signing, saying, "Josh is someone that had plenty of options this summer but has chosen to come to Exeter City, and of course we are delighted with that. He is a real proven goalscorer at this level, and the level above, as well as having great international pedigree with Northern Ireland. His experience will be of huge benefit to our younger forwards such as Sonny Cox and Milli Alli."