Barrow AFC manager Mark Cooper admits signing Ollie Banks up for the longer term was an “urgent” piece of business.

And while Cooper says the club are “monitoring” the contract situation of other key men, the focus must now simply be on results.

Banks last weekend agreed a new two-and-a-half year deal at Holker Street.

It ended a spell of speculation about the top scorer’s future.

And Cooper said it was a sign of Barrow’s potential that the coveted midfielder put pen to paper. “If you’re serious about the ambition of the club then you have to try and secure your best players,” the manager said.

“That’s what we did with Ollie.

“There were clubs in for him that turned his head closer to home. I had a good chat with him, and he’s playing some of the best football of his career.

“I think he wanted to try and help build the club, and he can see a real plan for it. It’s great that we’ve got him signed up.”

On the possibility of similar action with other players in the squad at the Dunes Hotel Stadium, Cooper added: “The Banks one was urgent because there was a lot of interest in him.

“The others, of course we’re monitoring that.

“But the focus now has to be on winning some games and making sure we’re ready for next season, and we can plan and prepare and get everything in order in the summer, so that we can start next season properly without all the issues we had this year.”