Paul Jewell delivered Wigan 'the impossible dream' at the JJB Stadium - and Latics owner Dave Whelan immediately invited him to draft his own contract.

The homespun Lancashire outfit confirmed their place in the Premiership elite alongside Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool next season with a clinical 3-1 demolition of Reading.

After ploughing £75million into the club since taking control 10 years ago, Whelan has already pledged to provide Jewell with a £25million summer transfer kitty to keep them in the top flight.

And part of that will go on ensuring the manager is not prised away by anyone other than the cash-rich top six.

"It could be a three-, four- or five-year contract, I will let him choose," said Whelan, who revealed talks with the former Bradford boss are at an advanced stage.

"Paul Jewell can sign for as long as he wants. If he decides he wants to sign for another five years I will be clapping my hands. It would be brilliant for this club.

"I trust him implicitly. If one of the top six came in for him I would say 'good luck, you deserve it'. I would never stand in his way in that regard.

"Paul is a typical, down-to-earth Liverpudlian. He doesn't mess about and we work really well together."

Whelan confirmed West Brom inquired about Jewell when they were searching for Gary Megson's replacement, only to be told 'they couldn't afford him'.

In the JJB Sports owner, Wigan are fortunate to have a man willing to bankroll them to such a massive extent, but Whelan is also to be congratulated on his choice of manager.

In four years at the helm, Jewell, who took Bradford up in 1999, has guided the Latics from the Second Division into the Premiership, the most unexpected rise from obscurity since Wimbledon complete the ascent from non-league to top flight in 1986.

"We have achieved the impossible dream," said Whelan. "What we have done is give hope to every team in the Football League and Conference."

Though the bond between chairman and manager is great, Jewell knows Whelan has not amassed his £250million fortune by limiting his ambition and is aware big things will be expected when the new campaign gets underway next August.

"He will probably be wanting a place in Europe," he smiled ruefully.

"And by telling everyone how much money we have, the price for our transfer targets will go up."

Nevertheless, Jewell is happy with the task he has been given and claimed he was 'never worried' Wigan might blow their big opportunity.

Lee McCulloch put the hosts ahead before leading scorers Jason Roberts and Nathan Ellington struck, taking their combined seasonal tally to 45, as Wigan closed in on their triumph, ripping apart Reading's hopes of making the play-offs at the same time.

"I know what the chairman said about turning us into a Premiership outfit but even he would agree no-one would have thought we would achieve it so quickly," he said.

"We needed to change a lot of things quite dramatically - and I am not just talking about the playing side.

"We will have to strengthen but that doesn't mean I will rip apart the squad as it stands.

"I am not just going to throw money at it. We need to spend wisely but I am sure we will not be as much of a pushover as some people think."