Macclesfield, who lost their Football League place in 2012, were among the favourites for relegation from the National League at the start of the season.
They have one of the smallest budgets in the fifth tier and their title win with a much-changed squad has surprised many.
One of only a handful of players to stay at the Moss Rose last summer was veteran midfielder Danny Whittaker.
The 37-year-old is five years into his second spell at the club, having made a goalscoring debut in February 2002 after moving to the club from Manchester United.
“The club’s been through some tough times in the five years since I’ve been back,” said Whittaker.
“It’s an incredible achievement to finally get back into the Football League where the club belongs.
“We shouldn’t have dropped out of the league in the first place, but we’ve done it and we can enjoy it now.
“We only had four players signed up from the previous season, so it’s a completely new squad and you’re just guessing whiter it’s going to gel and then hoping if you put in a few results and see where it takes us – we’ve put a shift in all season and done well.”
You must be logged in to post a comment Login