The 48-year-old takes charge of the National League club after eight years with Everton as Under-23s manager and director of the Premier League club’s academy.

The former defender also took charge of the Toffees’ first team on a couple of occasions, overseeing the final game of the 2015-16 campaign and for a month during the 2017-18 season.

He made over 300 appearances for Everton in two spells during his playing career while he also had stints with Sheffield United and Huddersfield Town. He made 34 appearances for the Blades in the 2005-06 Championship season as they were promoted to the Premier League.

David Unsworth has been named as Oldham's new manager. Picture: Charlotte Tattersall/Getty Images.

He was also assistant manager at Bramall Lane in 2013 before joining Everton’s academy as a coach.

Unsworth told Oldham’s website: “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.

“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.”

Unsworth replaces John Sheridan in the Boundary Park hotseat.

Former Everton, Sheffield United, Burnley and Huddersfield Town defender appointed Oldham manager