Jon McCarthy has paid tribute to former Chester FC chairman Simon Olorenshaw after his decision to step down from the board of City Fans United.

Olorenshaw announced his decision to resign from the role on Tuesday citing increased work commitments with his full-time role at Merseyrail, where he holds a senior management position.

And Chester manager McCarthy says he is sad to see Olorenshaw depart the Blues but believes he has left the club in calmer waters and put foundations in place to ensure it flourishes in the future.

"The chairman has been brilliant and gave me my position here and was able to see that I was somebody who was right for this football club so I will always be grateful for that opportunity," said McCarthy.

"He has steered the club in the right direction. It was a difficult time last year, I guess.

"Things were stable and he was moving us forward but we have been very fortunate to have him for that 11 months and be able to have him put things in place."

Chester FC's new CEO Mark Maguire with directors Laurence Kirby and Brian Burns
Chester FC's new CEO Mark Maguire with directors Laurence Kirby and Brian Burns

McCarthy pointed to the appointment of CEO Mark Maguire as one of the most important decisions of Olorenshaw's time at the helm and believes that it is a move that will ultimately pay dividends in the long run for the football club.

Said the Blues boss: "He has left a lot of good stuff in place. Mark Maguire coming in as chief executive is one of Simon's big signings.

"I have a lot of backroom staff and volunteers who are a massive help to me but my real main contacts are Tony Allan (club secretary), who is a excellent for me through the amount of work that he does.

"Laurence Kirby (club director) is a massive support for me. He is retired but here on a daily basis and is a sounding board for me. He runs the most important bit, the finances. The financial side of this football club are in the best hands of anybody in the National League.

"Mark Maguire has been hired to make sure I have no excuses.

"He knows what my wishlist is and what we need to get this club to where we ultimately want it to be. He allows me to solely concentrate on what helps us get points on a Saturday and a Tuesday.

"Hopefully I can be Simon's legacy and go on and prove that he made the right decision with me by the end of the season and I think people will soon see the impact of Mark Maguire at the football club.

"But we will be sad to see him go and I'll miss having him around."