COMEBACK kid Dan Cockerline is confident Barrow have enough quality in their ranks to feature in the upper-reaches of the National League once more.

Cockerline, who is close to a return to action after eight months out following knee surgery, has been impressed with the recruitment done by manager Paul Cox over the summer.

While AFC have lost Jordan Williams, Nick Anderton and Richie Bennett to Football League clubs, they have brought in players with a raft of experience in non-league's top-flight and above.

Striker Adi Yussuf and defender Jack Barthram were recruited only this week, while prior to that Asa Hall – who along with Barthram won the National League at Cheltenham Town in 2016 – and Bedsente Gomis had arrived.

With those signings in mind, Cockerline feels the Bluebirds can match or better their performance last season, when they surprised most observers by being in the play-off hunt until the final weeks of the campaign – including going on a 26-match unbeaten run across all competitions.

“You look around in training at the quality the gaffer has brought in, and there are some very good players – Asa Hall, Dave Fitzpatrick etc. He has brought in some good quality players,” said Cockerline, who did not play for AFC last season after being injured while on loan at Stalybridge Celtic barely six weeks after joining Barrow.

“I feel like if we can gel, everyone knows the system and we are singing off the same hymn-sheet, then we can do what we did last season. It's just about winning games, being confident and trusting in each other.

“I think we have got a good group. People concerned that we have lost key players, yeah, but you've got to remember that we have brought in quality as well. We've just got to give it our all and we can have a good season.”