He said: "I've tremendous respect for John Filan, he's an exceptional goalkeeper and one of the best in the business.
"But I want to try and push John and see if I can get a chance to play in the top flight.
"I know I'll have to fight for my place in the first team but I'm prepared to be patient and I'm really looking forward to working with John and Gary Walsh as this is an incredibly exciting time for Wigan.
"I've spent the last four years playing in Rotherham's first team and I'm used to regular football, but coming to Wigan was just too good an opportunity to turn down.
"It was a wrench leaving Rotherham, but then I saw they had Walsall at home on the first day and Wigan have got the champions Chelsea.
"I just feel so excited about the prospect of being involved in a game like that."
Pollitt kickstarted his career as a trainee under Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United in 1990, before spells with Oldham, Bury, Sunderland and Rotherham, where he made 260 appearances for the Millers and was a virtual ever-present last season.
Pollitt, though, has been a long-time target for Latics boss Paul Jewell, who badly required extra cover with Gary Walsh taking up a coaching position as well as being third choice goalkeeper.
He added: "It is very nice to think that a manager of Paul Jewell's calibre rates me and I'll do my best to repay the faith he has shown in me.
"I've spent most of my career playing further down the league, but I always felt I could stretch myself a bit higher in the game and now this is a great opportunity to have a go at the Premiership and experience life in the top division.
"There were other clubs in, but I've been in discussions with Wigan for a while now and there was never any doubt in my mind this was a challenge I was going to accept and I can't wait for the season to start."
Meanwhile, chairman Dave Whelan says Latics will spread their transfer net 'far and wide in Europe' after admitting Wigan are finding it tough to attract the best of British to the JJB. Ambitious Latics matched Newcastle United's £6m bid for Chelsea's Scott Parker but the midfielder did not even speak to Wigan.
"It is very difficult to get quality English or British players to come," said Whelan.
"It's a case of 'Where's Wigan?' But we have got to get over that, so we are now looking for foreign players.
"If we get the right people there's nothing wrong with it.
"Sam Allardyce proved that, but it's all a new experience to me and to Paul Jewell.
"We don't have a lot of time because the transfer window closes on August 31, and if the players are not available here then we will widen our net and that almost certainly means we will be signing players from other parts of Europe."
Wigan's first team squad reported back for the start of pre-season training today.