Oldham Athletic are thrilled to announce the appointment of David Unsworth as the club’s new first-team manager.
Arriving at Boundary Park on a three-year contract, the 48-year-old joins Latics having spent eight years at Everton, where his work in charge of the U23s team has seen him establish a magnificent pedigree as a highly-respected, modern coach.
The former defender, who enjoyed a distinguished playing career at Goodison Park spanning more than a decade, also stepped in to manage the Everton first team on an interim basis in 2016 and 2017.
The arrival of Unsworth is a tremendously exciting appointment for Latics, heralding the next stage of a new era at Boundary Park as he looks to implement a dynamic coaching philosophy to shape the future direction of the club.
Following his appointment, Unsworth said: “This is the perfect job for me and I’m hugely excited to be joining the club at this time.
“I’ve had opportunities to become a first-team manager at a number of clubs over the past three of four years but they haven’t felt quite right.
“This is the right club, the right fit, with the right owners and board of directors.
“The fanbase has also been a very important factor in my decision to join. I’ve seen the support they have given the team this season and I’m sure they’ll continue to get right behind the team.
“I genuinely think this club is a sleeping giant, one that can climb up not just one league, but two or three, in a short space of time.
“I’m very pleased to be here and I can’t wait to meet the players and get started in the job.”
Unsworth spent the vast majority of his playing career at Everton, winning the FA Cup in 1995 under Latics and Goodison Park great Joe Royle, as well as the Community Shield the following August.
Following that cup win, he received international recognition with England, establishing himself as one of the most reliable performers in the top division during the first decade of the Premier League.
In total, Unsworth spent 11 years at Everton across two spells, making over 300 appearances and also earning a reputation for his dependability with set-pieces and penalties.
After leaving in 2004, he went on to play for a number of other clubs in the top division, including Portsmouth, Sheffield United and Wigan Athletic, before retiring in 2009.
He began coaching at Bramall Lane before joining the staff at Preston North End, where he also managed the first-team in an interim capacity in December 2010 and 2011.
A return to Everton was next, becoming assistant manager of the U23s, before making the step up to manager in 2014. Over the next eight years, 25 academy players would be given first-team debuts.
Following the departure of Roberto Martínez as Everton manager in 2016, Unsworth, alongside Joe Royle, took charge of the final game of the season, beating Norwich 3-0.
Just over a year later, he stepped into the Goodison Park hotseat once again, overseeing eight matches after the departure of Ronald Koeman, before returning to the U23s following the appointment of Sam Allardyce.
On the appointment of Unsworth, Latics CEO Darren Royle said: “On behalf of the Board of Directors, staff and supporters, we would like to welcome David to Boundary Park.
“To have secured a manager of David’s standing in the game is a hugely exciting step forward for our club. He is a coach who is held in great esteem and has a marvellous track record for developing young players, which is crucial to our future strategy.
“David brings with him a real winning mentality. He will be key to developing our players and that will ultimately help us win more football matches, aligning with our Purpose and what we stand for as a club”.
David’s backroom staff will be announced in due course.
As a club, we are extremely delighted to welcome David to Boundary Park. He will meet his squad for the first time today, before taking charge at Bromley on Saturday, followed by a highly-anticipated first home game against Wrexham on 1 October.
A full video interview with the new manager follow shortly.
Welcome to Latics, David!