NEW Barrow AFC midfielder Jack Thomas has great potential to shine during his loan spell at Holker Street.

The 20-year-old Mansfield Town player has signed a youth loan deal with the Bluebirds until the end of the season and is in line for his debut at Aldershot tomorrow (3pm kick-off).

He signed late on Friday last week, but was ineligible for Saturday’s FA Trophy last-16 triumph over Kidderminster Harriers.

Barrow boss Paul Cox gave Thomas his Stags bow as a 17-year-old at the end of the 2013/14 season, and has tracked his progress since – with 46 Football League appearances to his name in the interim.

Now Cox hopes he can get the best out of the young midfielder as he brings him under his charge once again, and said: “I gave him his debut at 17 years of age. At that stage, against Rochdale – and it wasn’t a dissimilar side to the Rochdale we played – he was the best player on the pitch.

“He has a massive amount of potential. He’s a young lad who has probably been a little bit unlucky – sometimes with a change of manager etc – but he will come in, he will give us an energy in midfield, he’ll give us quality in possession, and he will give us a tenacity when he needs to go and put his foot in. I think he’s a good all-round midfielder.”

Cox sees Thomas as a replacement for former loanee Ryan Yates, who has joined League One Shrewsbury Town from parent club Nottingham Forest, rather than return for a second spell with AFC.

Both are tall, physical midfielders, though Cox believes Thomas’s experience of playing in the Football League already could be an advantage.

“He’s very much in the Ryan Yates mould,” said Cox, who also landed Barnsley striker Shaun Tuton on loan for the remainder of the season last week. “He’s 6ft 2ins, he gets around every blade of grass and he’s technically very, very good.

“He’s a carbon-copy of Yates. Without being disrespectful to Yatesy, he’d not played a league game, this kid is 20 and he has played nearly 50 league games in League Two.

“I gave him his debut at Rochdale, and there was talk of him going to the Premiership at stages. For whatever reason, and it’s all to do with being a kid, he has lost his way a little bit.

“You listen to Steve Evans (Mansfield boss), and he knows a player, he’s one Steve wants to keep on board. I read his statement about wanting to keep him for next year, and Steve doesn’t let good players go.

“What he has done is let him join us. Hopefully, we’ll get him some game-time under his belt as Steve develops his squad at Mansfield. I know that Jack is a Football League player and all we need to do is put him back on his right path.”

Stags boss Evans hopes Thomas will benefit from his time with AFC, and told club website mansfieldtown.net: “He gets an opportunity to work with Paul Cox at Barrow, fully aware of the success he brought this club in the Conference.

“He’s aware that Paul Cox can put good teams on the pitch, at that league in particular.

“I’ve sat at length with Jack over a few days with the different opportunities and it’s nice when a young man takes your advice as an experienced manager to get on the pitch and get some solid performances in a very competitive league and come back here at the end of the season fully prepared for a huge pre-season.

“This boy could play a big part next season and I don’t say that about many players who are allowed to go out on loan at this stage.

“I can assure our supporters that we will monitor Jack’s progress and watch him three to four times a month. Those reports will dictate the conversations I have with him, which will be twice a week.”

Cox’s focus is now on adding two defenders to his squad, with only five presently available to cover him until the end of the season.

“If you look at our back four at the minute, we’ve only got five defenders for the four places,” the Bluebirds manager said. “That is something I’ve got to be aware of when the games start coming thick and fast. A lot of fatigue is going to set in and we are going to get injuries and suspensions, so it’s important that we are adequately covered in all departments.”