JOHN Sheridan anticipates experiencing his busiest summer in football management as he looks to rebuild the Oldham Athletic squad and mould it into his own.

There was just over a week of the transfer window remaining when Sheridan returned to Boundary Park for a sixth spell in charge in January. And he was further restricted in the market because of the club's transfer embargo.

That meant there was little room for manoeuvre, and barring the arrivals of Mike Fondop and Tope Obadeyi, Sheridan had to work with the squad he inherited - including new arrivals Alex Hunt, who signed a loan deal until the end of the season from Sheffield Wednesday, and the returning Christopher Missilou. Both players were signed while Selim Benachour was interim head coach.

So the summer transfer window will be Sheridan's first opportunity to put his stamp on the squad, and it is an opportunity he is relishing.

The club's retained list has not yet been issued. But as the majority of players are out of contract this summer, with last summer's signings only permitted to pen one-year deals under embargo rules, and the previous intake now reaching the end of their two-year contracts, Sheridan is anticipating a big turnover.

"It will be my busiest summer," he said.

"There will be plenty of players out there, but it will be very difficult getting them in.

"Whether you get them in early or not but if there are players available early I’ll be talking to them if I can, like most clubs will be.

"All I can say is I'll be giving my all. The supporters know what I'm like."

And Sheridan is conscious that there is a focus and expectation on him to deliver.

"I'm talking a good game at the moment, I'll get judged next year," he added.

"Hopefully I'll bring the right players in and hopefully we'll perform, in a very, very tough league. Believe me it's a very tough league.

"I look at the teams in there, you see Sutton who have just come up recently and Harrogate who have come up recently - it's a very strong league and there are some good clubs in there and it's very hard to get out of.

"So it's important we try to get the right personnel in and we push on now and try, if we can, forget this season and move on and try to be successful next season."