 He would later sign for Wigan Athletic in July 2006, after a successful loan period, and he had further loan spells at both Leicester City and Doncaster Rovers before being signed by Sheffield Wednesday in May 2012.He joined Preston North End in August 2015, and had a brief spell with Bury before retiring in August 2016.A year after retirement from playing, Kirkland took up coaching with Port Vale in January 2017.