MATTY While may one day return to Barrow Raiders if he can impress over the next two years at Whitehaven, according to head coach Paul Crarey.

The 22-year-old back row has opted to make the move up to West Cumbria to play for the Betfred League One side after being unable to earn a regular starting spot with the Raiders, signing a deal which runs until the end of 2020.

However, Barrow head coach Crarey has left the door open for While to one day return to his hometown club after the former Leeds Rhinos youth player informed him of his plans and hopes he can make an impact at the Recreation Ground.

“He loves it at Barrow, and said he’s going to try to go away to come back and get a regular start at Barrow,” said Crarey. “With the team we’ve got, we’re looking to push up in the Championship next year.

“He’s a good kid, he phoned me up and told me what he was going to do, and I see him most days because he works where we go.

“He’s got a lot going on in his life with a new baby and he feels his best opportunity would be to go there and play. We’ve lost some good kids this year with Ryan Fieldhouse and him, but we wish them all the best and they go with our good will and we’ll keep in touch with them.

“All the players who do go, they always have an opportunity to come back and if they leave on good terms there’s that chance, and Matty has done that. We monitor every kid from around our area who is playing everywhere, so we just want to see them do well.”

Full-back Fieldhouse has made the move up the coast as well, joining Workington Town, and While will be playing alongside former Askam amateurs Tom Wilkinson and Sam Dowsett at Haven.

They could be joined by more Barrow players at the Recre over the course of the 2019 season, with Crarey and opposite number at Haven, Gary Charlton, having discussed the possibility of some Raiders players being made available for loan to get game-time.

That could see younger members of the squad such as promising half-backs Jake Carter and Ryan Johnston being sent out to continue their development by playing regularly in League One rather than having to wait for an opportunity at Craven Park.

“I spoke to Gary Charlton about maybe loaning a couple of our players to them during the season to give them some game-time, especially our young players at the club,” said Crarey.

“We spoke at length and he’s open to that. It gives an outlet for some of our players, and Matty is up there and we’ll keep a close eye on him.”