The 27-year-old joined Latics in January, ending a six-year spell at Yeovil Town, with whom he won the National League South title in 2024.

It was the first time the defender had moved to a club in the north of England, having played youth team football for Southampton before moves to Bournemouth, Eastbourne and Forest Green.

Manager Micky Mellon described him as a player who ticked all the boxes, adding: “The midfield is an area that’s very important to us and we’ve been able to get a leader and a captain in which I’m thrilled about.”

But with a number of other midfielders also recruited around that time, the competition in that department was fierce and Worthington was limited to just 10 appearances.

As a result Worthington has returned to National League South with Torquay, with no fee involved.

A club statement from Latics read: “Oldham Athletic can confirm that midfielder Matt Worthington has joined Torquay United on a permanent basis after making 10 appearances for the club.”We would like to thank Matt for his efforts throughout the 2024/25 season and the professionalism he brought to the squad in our promotion winning campaign.

“Everyone at the club wishes Matt all the very best for the future.”

After the deal was confirmed, Torquay United manager Paul Wotton told his club’s official website: “Worthy is a player that I’ve been trying to get into the club for quite a while now.