2025/26 squad taking shape
Big Sam signs, Diego no-go
I hope you’re enjoying the balmy weather and not missing football too much! Read on for some thoughts on how the Silkmen’s squad is shaping up for next season and some transfer speculation which would set pulses racing, which is why this post is for subscribers only.
The jigsaw pieces are falling into place as Robbie Savage plans for next season in the National League North. With defender Sam Heathcote being the latest to sign a new contract, 15 out of the 19 NPL title-winning players in Macclesfield’s squad have committed their immediate futures to the club.
And that figure may well be higher while we await for official confirmation on the statuses of Danny Whitehead, Elliott Whitehouse, Tom Clare and Dontai Gabidon.
Room for sentiment, but how much room for manoeuvre in the transfer budget?
In isolation Sam Heathcote signing a new contract, although welcomed, doesn’t feel like major news. However, the towering defender’s continued presence in Macclesfield’s squad could be more significant than we think.
Does Savage see Heathcote’s versatility as integral to the squad next season, is he happy with our defensive strength, is he prioritising signings in other areas, or does this reflect that our transfer budget must be utilised more prudently next season?
Big Sam played 35 games this campaign, but only 14 of them have been starts with just two of them coming in 2025. He is now Macclesfield’s fourth-choice centre back behind the resurgent Lewis Fensome, Rollin Menayese and captain Paul Dawson. So why has Savage retained him?
Clearly Sam is a reliable and competent defender, and his versatility off the bench as a make-shift striker cements him as a valuable squad member having made 80 appearances over three seasons. At 6’5 his imposing physical attributes might lend themselves better to the rough-and-tumble of the NLN, although there is an argument to suggest that Heathcote doesn’t dominate enough in both boxes.
Do we need to strengthen at the back?
Central defence is an area that I expected Savage to seek upgrades in. Much may depend on whether he sees Paul Dawson as a defender or a midfielder next season, and whether he plans on playing more frequently with three centre backs in a wing-back system, something he dabbled with on numerous occasions this season.
Either way, I think there’s merit in the Silkmen signing another centre half who is aerially dominant, commanding from the back, and decent in possession in a back four and a back three. On paper, a new defender might seem like a low priority given Macc had the best defence in the NPL, only conceding 30 goals in 42 games and keeping 18 clean sheets.
However, the 30 goals we conceded were hardly as a result of us being under pressure or dominated in games. Off the top of my head, the Silkmen were only really under the cosh early in away games against Prescot and Warrington Rylands and quickly hit back in both. I’d estimate that half the goals we gave away were down to sloppy individual errors, such as Neil Kengni away at Ilkeston and Lancaster and Paul Dawson at home to Workington, for example. On other occasions, our goals conceded column was kept to a minimum due to the brilliance of goalkeeper Max Dearnley which reflects why Max was lauded at the recent Players Awards Evening.
My overriding point though is that, at times, NPL teams didn’t have to do an awful lot – either in terms of chance creation or entries in the final third – to score against us, which may be cause for concern. And it’s worth noting that Macc surprisingly fell behind in 13 league games in the season just ended - winning seven, drawing three and losing three, impressively rescuing 24 points out of a possible 36 from losing positions. But if that trend was to continue in the NLN, Savage may face a challenge to solve.
A dominant central defender, who is vocal and organised at the back, could therefore be a vital addition to bolster our backline. Given Savage attracted a player of the calibre of Rollin Menayese to the club in January, clearly the manager will have several defensive targets in mind should he seek reinforcements.
Diego no-go, striking options needed
Diego De Girolamo’s decision to sign for relegated (but money loaded!) Matlock was something of a surprise. The striker finished the season on loan at Macc and always seemed destined to end his seven-year association with Buxton this summer after scoring an eyecatching 120 goals in 230 appearances for the Bucks.
Was De Girolamo still up to the rigours of the NLN, or was the 29-year-old showing signs of wear and tear after battling back from injury earlier in the season? The jury was out with Diego not entirely convincing during his eight appearances for Macclesfield, albeit six of those came off the bench.
At times, he looked a little off the pace but I felt he was improving game-by-game. His numbers in comparison to his minutes were impressive – one goal and three assists in 233 minutes, an average of 29 minutes per game. He did miss a great chance against Bamber Bridge in the match which clinched the title, but did find the net in injury time away at Guiseley. But in his two starts for the Silkmen he only managed 52 and 45 minutes against Workington and Ilkeston respectively.
The latter was De Girolamo’s best performance as he looked sharper, more involved and his hold-up / link-up play was good – a core strength which provided a contrasting blend of attributes to complement the pace and movement of Danny Elliott and D’Mani Mellor. Unfortunately he picked up a knock against Ilkeston which led to him being taken off at half-time.
De Girolamo had integrated well into the squad, spoke highly of his time at Macclesfield and praised the managerial skills of Robbie Savage. It felt like both parties were receptive to doing a deal, but in football things can change quickly.
Did Savage offer Diego a deal or not? Did he turn it down? How much was De Girolamo’s need for first team football a factor? And how did businessman David Hilton (who recently took control of Matlock Town) throw at De Girolamo to tempt him to drop down to play at Step Four?
The Silkmen News has approached Diego for comment, but up to now, we haven’t secured an interview to attempt to clarify some of the above questions. Most Macclesfield supporters seem non-plussed that De Girolamo has moved on, but one thing we can all agree on is that we need to sign one, maybe two strikers to increase our forward options in the NLN.
Silkmen eyeing Hemmings?
It is the ‘silly season’, and even in the relatively protective bubble of non-league football there will still be a multitude of transfer rumours flying around, particularly relating to Macclesfield who are never far away from the limelight due to Robbie Savage increasing the club’s profile markedly in the media.
Of course, some rumours are more credible than others. According to sources in Kidderminster, Macclesfield have a keen interest in signing Ashley Hemmings – Kiddy’s star striker who was this season’s top scorer in the NLN with 30 goals.
If there’s ‘legs’ in this rumour it would be a remarkable coup if Savage was to pull this off. Kidderminster were 90 minutes from securing promotion to the National League, but their shock 2-1 defeat at Southport saw Brackley snatch the NLN league title and promotion in Kiddy’s place. The Harriers subsequently lost to Chester in last week’s play-off semi-final.
Hemmings has spent the last six seasons at Kidderminster, registering 76 goals in 209 appearances. But last season was by far his most prolific for the forward who can play as a left winger or central striker, which is likely to appeal to Savage who admires pace and end product from wide areas.
At 34 though, would Hemmings be tempted up north and willing to switch to a part-time playing model? Prior to joining Kidderminster, Hemmings has had spells at Fylde and Altrincham, so is no stranger to the North West.
Apart from finances, the other potential spanner in signing the out-of-contract striker is the fact that Kidderminster have parted ways with manager Phil Brown after missing out on promotion. With a new boss about to take over the reins at Aggborough Stadium, might he convince Hemmings that he would be better served staying put?
The Silkmen News has yet to hear anything of substance on the Hemmings rumours, and certainly not from sources in Macclesfield.
Hemmings did post a heartfelt message on social message apologising for not getting Kiddy over the line in their quest for promotion, however this appeared more like an honest admission rather than a ‘goodbye’. And apparently his mum has said he’s staying at Kidderminster, so if that doesn’t end the rumours I don’t know what will ;-).
But with a couple of credible Kidderminster fans claiming the Silkmen have a concrete and live interest in poaching their star player, this rumour might be one to watch. Just don’t tell Hemmings’ mum.