Last updated on .From the section Macclesfield

Sol Campbell led Macclesfield Town to safety in League Two last season after a run of just two defeats from their final 10 games

Manager Sol Campbell has left League Two side Macclesfield Town by mutual consent after eight months in charge.

The 44-year-old former England defender took over in November 2018 with the Silkmen bottom of League Two.

Campbell kept them in the English Football League thanks to a run of just two defeats in their final 10 games.

"Macclesfield Town gave me a great beginning in the managerial side of the game and fantastic learning curve which I am truly grateful for," he said.

"I would like to thank all the players and staff for their support during my time at the Moss Rose and also all the loyal fans, whose belief at the end of last season ultimately played a tangible role in our success."

Campbell began his managerial career four years after describing the lack of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) managers in English football as a "sad indictment" of the game.

Following his appointment, Campbell said he had submitted "at least 12-15 applications" before he eventually landed the job at Macclesfield.

His departure, which Macclesfield said had been agreed "in the most amicable of ways", is the first managerial exit from any club in England's top four divisions this season.

Campbell's relative on-field success at Macclesfield came amid off-field financial issues at the club.

Players revealed they considered boycotting their final game of last season in protest about unpaid wages after they were paid late for three consecutive months.

On Wednesday, six former Silkmen players defended their decision to lead a winding-up petition against the club, following criticism in a club statement.

The six players applied to dismiss the petition once their money had been recovered and said it was a "last resort". HM Revenue and Customs later took over the petition, which has been adjourned until 11 September.

There are now only five BAME managers in England's top four divisions; Nuno Espirito Santo (Wolves), Sabri Lamouchi (Nottingham Forest), Darren Moore (Doncaster), Keith Curle (Northampton) and Dino Maamria (Stevenage).

Curle, whose side host the Silkmen on Saturday, told BBC Radio Northampton: "I'm slightly shocked - I thought in his first tenure in management he did a fantastic job, in what a lot of people would say was a thankless task.

"Some of the obstacles that were facing him when he first went in there, to keep them up was a remarkable, fantastic job."