DAVID Unsworth is the new manager of Oldham Athletic.

The 48-year-old has signed a three-year deal at Boundary Park and described it as "the perfect job for me".

Unsworth, who succeeds John Sheridan, left his role as Everton's Under 23s manager earlier this year to pursue his ambition of stepping into a first team managerial role after eight years at Finch Farm.

And he believes that Latics is the perfect fit.

“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.”

It is a move that reunites Unsworth with Joe Royle.

Unsworth spent the majority of his playing career at Everton, winning the FA Cup in 1995 under Royle the year after he left Oldham for Goodison Park, as well as the Community Shield the following August.

After the cup win, he was capped by England, and earned a reputation as one of the most dependable defenders in the Premier League.

Unsworth spent over a decade at Goodison across two spells, making over 300 appearances.

After leaving in 2004, he went on to play for Portsmouth, Sheffield United, Wigan Athletic and Burnley before retiring in 2009 after a spell with Huddersfield.

He returned to Sheffield United in a coaching capacity before joining the staff at Preston North End, where he had spells in caretaker charge.

He returned to Everton as assistant manager of the Under 23s, going on to become Academy manager in 2014.

Following the departure of Roberto Martínez as Everton manager in 2016, Unsworth, alongside 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 following Ronald Koeman's exit, before returning to the U23s following the appointment of Sam Allardyce.

During his time with the U23s, 25 Academy players have earned their first team debuts.

Unsworth was set to meet the Latics players for the first time this morning to prepare for his first game in charge, away to Bromley on Saturday.

His first game is the much anticipated visit of Wrexham on October 1.

The club have not yet announced Unsworth's backroom staff.