IAN Evatt has brought in a man with hundreds of Football League and Premier League appearances to his name to be his new assistant boss at Barrow AFC.

Peter Atherton has joined up with Evatt at the start of pre-season training, along with physio Callum Walters and analyst Lewis Duckmanton.

The arrivals of Walters and Duckmanton come on the same day Barrow completed a deal for midfielder John Rooney and as former physio and strength and conditioning coach Lindsay Davis leaves the club.

Atherton has most recently been the development squad manager at hometown club Wigan Athletic, where he began his playing career in the Football League in 1988.

He went on to play in the top-flight for Coventry City, Sheffield Wednesday and Bradford City, and ended his career with Halifax, before injury forced him into retirement.

Evatt sees Atherton as a perfect foil in the dugout at Holker Street, and said of the 48-year-old: “He has a lot of coaching experience with Wigan, Liverpool.

“Throughout my network, I put a lot of feelers out as to who would be available, who would be interested, and who they would recommend. Peter's name has sprung up from three or four of my trusted contacts.

“I went through the interview process, and he was the outstanding candidate.”

He added: “He's experienced and he has watched a lot of games at this level through his job at Wigan. He is a calm character, and with this being my first job, at times I will become emotional and go through highs and lows – it's important that I have someone next to me who will keep me on the straight and narrow and keep me balanced mentally.

“He's an outstanding coach as well, and it's important for me to have someone like that to help me along the way.”

Atherton has been a coach at both Wigan and Halifax, and spent time as first-team assistant manager at the DW Stadium following the departure of Warren Joyce and assistant Andy Welsh in 2017.

Walters graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in 2016 with a degree in sports therapy and has had spells with Derby County's academy and Matlock Town.

He joined Chesterfield's academy before being promoted as first-team sports therapist at the start of the 2017/18 season, working with Evatt.

Duckmanton will be the first-team analyst having worked at clubs in League One and League Two, and will use PlayerTek GPS vests to monitor player performance in pre-season and throughout the coming campaign.