Former PFA chairman Clarke Carlisle has slammed Wigan Athletic's decision to appoint Malky Mackay as their new manager.

The Scot was confirmed as the new Latics boss on Wednesday afternoon, but Mackay is currently the subject of an ongoing Football Association investigation into alleged racist, homophobic and sexist text messages he made while in charge of Cardiff City last year.

Mackay has firmly denied the allegations, but Carlisle has questioned the decision to allow the former Bluebirds boss back into football.

"One thing that stands out from this is that football clubs don't always behave like bona fide employers," he told BT Sport. "I think this totally undermines the ethics and morals that they're supposed to abide by as employers.

"We shouldn't be surprised by the appointment, [Wigan chairman] Dave Whelan has said it himself, football is everything, which it isn't. It doesn't transcend morals, ethics and law.

"He also said a number of years ago that colour should be forgotten and that it doesn't really bother anybody, so the big question for me is, what is his mindset as an employer?"

Mackay replaced Uwe Rosler, who was sacked last week.