Frank Rothwell says Oldham Athletic are entering the new season with a "clean slate" in their quest for promotion back to the Football League.

It is one year ago tomorrow since the Latics chairman and his family were unveiled as the club's saviours, following the completion of a long-awaited takeover, which ultimately brought all aspects of club business under single ownership.

Back then Oldham went into a first season in the National League having had preparations hampered by uncertainty over the club's future, a lack of investment and, as a consequence, a recruitment struggle.

Fast forward 12 months and David Unsworth, who replaced John Sheridan last September to become the new owners' first managerial appointment, has been given the budget to make five summer signings so far with up to three more in the frame as he moulds a squad capable of challenging.

"The changes we've made are all positive changes and I've seen players improve and the squad has improved," said Rothwell of the work that has gone on over the last 12 months both on and off the pitch.

"We still have the same budget as last year but last year we had a lot of players on loan and we had players from the previous owners so we had to continue with the contracts of those players.

"But now it's a clean slate with that and we've also got a belief.

"The end of the season was special, and the best win for me was winning at Chesterfield. I really enjoyed that.

"When you go to Chesterfield, they're no mugs, they're a proper established club just like we are, and when you go into their reception and see their trophy cabinet... I can't wait to have a trophy cabinet at Oldham.

"And I don't want it to be in the boardroom, I want it to be so that everybody can see it."

Reflecting on his year at the Boundary Park helm, Rothwell said: "There have been some sleepless nights. We all have sleepless nights when you go to bed thinking about something and you can't stop, and then you start worrying about it.

"There's nothing more that concentrates the mind than thinking the club you've bought could be relegated. When you're into October-November and things aren't going quite as you would have hoped and you're thinking 'what can we do to change things?'. But the family decided that we wouldn't get involved in the day to day running of the club and we wouldn't start speaking to the manager about things, we would leave him to it and see what happens. We made that pledge and made that decision ourselves.

"And things started to change and improve and we got out of the relegation zone and we were even wondering if we might make the play-offs at one stage.

"So to sum up last season it was brilliant. And the last year has been exciting."

He added: "When I'm walking along people stop me and say thank you for saving the club, and I really appreciate that. Some people want a selfie, some people want to shake my hand, but the highlight for me was when this lady stopped me and asked me to kiss her baby. That's President Reagan stuff that is!"