Physio Ian Liversedge has returned to Oldham Athletic, 30 years after playing a key role in Joe Royle's backroom staff during the promotion and Premier League years.

Manager Micky Mellon is not just having an overhaul of his first team squad but has also orchestrated a shake-up of his backroom team.

The Oldham Times understands Latics have parted company with physio/head of medical Becca O'Loughlin, leading to Liversedge's return.

Liversedge, who is affectionately known as Sos, is not just familiar with Boundary Park but has also worked with Mellon several times over the last quarter of a century.

Mellon was a midfielder at Burnley when Liversedge was physio under manager Stan Ternent at Turf Moor.

When the Scot made the move into management himself, it was Liversedge that Mellon called upon to look after his players at Fleetwood and Tranmere Rovers.

Liversedge, who is a popular figure with Latics fans, was also Accrington Stanley's physio when they won promotion back to the Football League in 2006, leaving that role a couple of years later to reunite with Ternent at Huddersfield Town.

He will join new goalkeeper coach Scott Davies and head of recruitment Terry McPhillips, who has also taken on a coaching role since the departure of Paul Murray, on the new-look backroom team at Boundary Park.

"A manager can't be on his own, you're going to need good people around the club when I'm not there in order to keep driving the culture that we believe is the right way to be a good footballer," said Mellon of his backroom changes.

"What sometimes can happen is that people don't push and challenge behaviours when I'm not there. What you have to be able to do. What you have to be able to get from your staff is when I'm not there, everybody's challenging that, everybody's saying 'that's not how a good team operates, that's not a good player behaviour or a good player attitude', and then that will go into the team.

"I've got a lot of players that will do that as well now. I've got players in there that will say 'that won't make us successful, behaving like that or training like that'. We need an all-in group in order to work well.

"I want to make Oldham smile again, I want the fans to smile, so that's what I need, and those guys that I've brought in will help me to do that, at all times - not just when it's sunny but when things get tough, or whatever. Those guys will still be driving it on, and they're all people who have had success in their careers so they know what it takes so all around about the place there are lots of positives."