JORDAN White does not expect to have an easy life keeping a place in the Barrow AFC team this season – and that is just the way he likes it.

White moved to Holker Street at the start of the summer, having had a tough first National League season with Wrexham, where a blood infection saw him miss almost four months of the campaign.

With the infection cleared up and highly unlikely to occur again, the 25-year-old has settled in well at Barrow during pre-season, netting the winner in the 1-0 friendly triumph against Motherwell to open his account.

Now White is aiming to become a regular presence in the AFC front-line, but he knows he faces strong competition in that regard.

Though Richie Bennett has departed for Carlisle and Byron Harrison is on the sidelines recovering from an ankle op, the latter is sure to come back firing, ready to build on his high-scoring first season with the Bluebirds.

Added to that, Harry Panayiotou has featured more in pre-season than he did in almost the entirety of the last campaign, netting against Lancaster City and Witton Albion, up-and-coming striker Dan Cockerline is waiting for his chance after a knee problem left him out of action since December, and Adi Yussuf has arrived from Grimsby.

White is aware he will have to be on his game to maintain a place in the starting line-up.

“From my point-of-view, I'm coming in and they've already got a couple of really good strikers in there,” said White, who netted seven National league goals in 24 appearances – eight as substitute – last season. “I'm going to be fighting for my place straight away – but that's what you need, healthy competition. You don't want to be comfortable in a team, you always want to be pushed to your limits.”

On his new team-mates, he added: “Harry was on loan to Raith Rovers at one point, and I've played against him in Scotland when I was at Livingston. I've seen a little bit of him there.

“The first game where we (Wrexham) played Barrow last season, I wasn't back yet, but I was at the game and I thought the strikers did well. Byron was injured for the second game when we played them, but there is good competition there, and that's what I relish.”

As to what he will bring to the side, White believes his aerial skills – demonstrated with his headed goal against Motherwell – will be important, but also his ability with the ball at his feet.

He expects to have the opportunity to showcase his talents, with the likes of Bradley Bauress and David Fitzpatrick providing chances, and said: “I'm tall, so I'm good in the air, but I'm also good with my feet as well. I just want to get into the areas.

“The manager (Paul Cox) has said to me that the way he plays will always create chances for the strikers, and I think that's key – at times, you are only as good as the players around about you. I think Barrow have got that in abundance.”

Having seen Barrow finish seventh last season – their highest non-league position – White expects the Bluebirds to build and progress further this term.

He has been impressed with Cox and the players around him, and said: “Barrow are a team on the rise. You could see that by the way they performed last season.

“They were very unlucky to miss out on the play-offs, and the management team and the staff were a big draw for me as well.

“I expect us to be competitive. They've kept quite a few of the players, and the boys they have kept are of very good quality. They've added to that as well.

“The manager has told me his expectations, and that was a big thing for me as well – the direction they want to go in. For me, it was a no-brainer.”