Ilkeston FC — a team with strong Bermudian links — have been bought by Notts County owner Alan Hardy for an undisclosed fee.

The English non-League side were wound-up in the High Court last month, but Hardy has completed a deal and appointed Steve Chettle, a former Nottingham Forest defender, as manager.

Chettle, a former Ilkeston player, succeeds Shaun Goater who took over as manager in February, with the club sitting second from bottom of the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League, and could not save them from relegation.

Goater had told The Royal Gazette in May that he was keen to remain at Ilkeston for the coming season — if the debt-ridden club still existed.

The Derbyshire side will play in the Midland Football League Division One as Ilkeston Town from next season, five levels below the Football League, with Hardy insisting there would be no conflict of interest.

“Naturally, as would be the case between any professional and semi-professional football clubs, there will be an opportunity for transactions when it comes to such things as the loaning of players, sharing of expertise and so on,” Hardy told the Nottingham Post.

“However, it is essential that any dealings between the two clubs are carried out with the best interests of their respective stakeholders in mind.”

Ilkeston Town, then a Conference North club, folded in 2010 owing £50,000 to HM Revenue and Customs.

The new club, Ilkeston FC, were admitted into the Northern Premier League Division One South for the 2011-12 season, playing at the same 3,029-capacity New Manor Ground as their predecessors. But financial troubles overshadowed their season in 2016-17, culminating in them being wound-up.

Paul Scope, who owned the now-defunct Bermuda Hogges, forged ties between the island and Ilkeston in 2013, with several Bermudian players enjoying stints at the club, including Danté Leverock, Jaylon Bather, Antwan Russell, Lejuan Simmons and Dale Eve.

Nigel Harrop, the former Ilkeston chairman, has previously lived in Bermuda.

Scope is yet to meet with Hardy but said the new owner is keen to continue the club’s relationship with Bermuda.

“I can say [Hardy] is extremely interested in the Bermuda project,” Scope said.

“Ilkeston’s academy wasn’t part of the winding-up process. It stands on it’s own feet and is sort of the jewel in the crown because, at that level, there aren’t too many academies of that standard.”

Scope said he still hopes to send more promising young Bermudian players to the club’s academy in the near future.

Enrique Russell, the Bermuda Under-17 forward — and son of late Bermuda defender Tokia Russell — has already returned to Ilkeston to prepare for the new season.

“I’ll probably look to send younger boys rather than 23 and 24-year-olds because the first team has dropped down a couple of levels,” Scope added.

“Maybe those Bermudian players on the fringes [of the first team] will get more playing time at senior football.

“[The Midland Football League Division One] will still be of a higher standard than Bermudian football and there will certainly be a lot more matches.”