Macclesfield have been bought by local businessman Robert Smethurst. Robbie Savage, the former Leicester, Birmingham, Blackburn and Wales midfielder turned broadcaster, is an associate of Smethurst and will be involved on the board.

The Silkmen were wound up in the high court and expelled from the National League last month, with unpaid debts of more than £500,000. “This is an extremely exciting opportunity to rebuild a historic football club for Macclesfield and the surrounding areas and I want to ensure that we bring the footballing heartbeat back to the local community,” Smethurst said in a statement.

He continued: “My vision over the months and years is to rebuild the club, pitch and stadium facilities and to re-invest the income generated from that back into creating a first team and into a club overall.

“I am passionate about building a secure business model and strong commercial foundation so the past issues the club has experienced will not happen again.”

Smethurst added that Danny Whitaker will remain as manager of the new club Macclesfield FC, who aim to compete in the North West Counties Football League next season.