Last updated at 14:25, Tuesday, 19 June 2012

BARROW AFC manager Dave Bayliss believes a positional switch will get the best out of Paul Rutherford next season.

KEY MAN: Paul Rutherford

The right-footed 24-year-old spent most of the last campaign on the left wing to accommodate Jack Mackreth down the right flank.

But with Mackreth having this summer joined Blue Square Bet Premier rivals Macclesfield Town, that leaves Rutherford – who last week signed a new one-year deal with the Bluebirds despite interest from other clubs – free to reclaim the right wing berth.

Bayliss said: “Ruthers was always one of the players we never wanted to lose. Like I have said in the past, he is very important to us.

“He played a lot on the left last season, but the season before he was excellent on the right and won three player-of-the-year awards.

“We will put him back in his favoured position next season and get the best out of him again.”

The winger, who joined Barrow in the summer of 2009 and is just six appearances shy of the 150 mark, struggled with a torn thigh injury for much of 2011/12, yet still made 45 appearances, scoring twice.

Bayliss added: “He is a year older too (Rutherford turns 25 next month) and is not even at his prime yet.

“I’m sure he’ll have a great season next year if he stays injury free.

“(Barrow physio) Sean (Riley) has given him a good strengthening programme for his quads, which he is to follow throughout the summer.

“Ruthers, being the pro that he is, will look after himself and do it. He is a great lad to have about the place and we expect big things of him next season.”

* Barrow will play Cumbrian rivals Workington twice in pre-season. The Bluebirds have arranged to entertain the west coast outfit on Tuesday, July 10.

The game will be the first leg of a pre-season double-header for the Chas Kendall Trophy. The second leg will be played at Workington on Friday, July 27. Barrow’s pre-season fixture programme is now complete.

Friendly fixtures: July: Sat 7: Furness Select XI (H) 3pm, Tue 10: Workington (H) 7.30pm, Fri 13th Airbus UK (A) 7.45pm, Thurs 19: Burnley (H) 7pm, Sat 21: Carlisle United (H) 3pm, Mon 23: Morecambe (H) 7.45pm, Fri 27 Workington (A) 7pm, Tue 31: Lancaster City (A) 7.45pm. August: Fri 3: Bolton Wanderers XI (H) 7.30pm.

* Next season’s Blue Square Bet Premier fixtures are set to be announced on Monday, July 2.

First published at 13:39, Tuesday, 19 June 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk