Club captain Josh Granite is among five players to have been released by Barrow AFC after the conclusion of the 2019/20 season.

Granite's leadership qualities made him a big influence in the Bluebirds' changing room, but he was frustratingly unable to transfer this on to the pitch much in the season just gone.

The 28-year-old memorably played on with a dislocated shoulder and broken collarbone in the closing stages of AFC's 1-0 win against Sutton United at Holker Street last November.

However, he would only make just one more appearance for Barrow and he departs after two seasons having played in 38 games, scoring one goal, at Wrexham on the opening day of last season.

The other players to have been let go are Byron Harrison, Matt Elsdon, Mark Waddington and Johnny Saltmer.

Harrison had his second spell with the Bluebirds, but he found it difficult to break into the line-up, with just seven of his 26 appearances coming from the start.

He scored once in that time, during the 7-0 rout of FC United of Manchester in the FA Trophy in January.

Former Middlesbrough defender Elsdon played just eight times in two seasons and spent time on loan at both Whitby Town and FC United during the campaign.

Waddington also finished the season out on loan, with Blyth Spartans, having made just three appearances after joining AFC last summer, following his release from Stoke City.

Saltmer, who signed from Hull in February 2019, never made a competitive appearance for Barrow and spent the majority of the last campaign on the sidelines due to elbow and ankle injuries.

Loanees Matt Platt, Tom White, Jack Vale (all Blackburn Rovers), Olly Dyson (Huddersfield Town), Dan Jones (Salford City), and Jamie Soule (West Bromwich Albion) have all gone back to their parent clubs.

Elsewhere, full-back Connor Brown and striker Jack Hindle have been offered short-term contracts to give them the chance to impress whoever replaces Ian Evatt as manager during pre-season.

Eleven players from the squad have been retained for next season, including Scott Quigley, Brad Barry, Patrick Brough and Morgan Penfold, who all signed on multi-year deals last summer.

John Rooney, Dior Angus, Jason Taylor, Josh Kay, Sam Hird, Lewis Hardcastle and Joel Dixon had all tied themselves down to new contracts during the campaign just gone.

AFC will now be looking to add to this base in the next couple of months, ahead of what will be their first season in the English Football League for 48 years.

Under Contract

Dior Angus, Brad Barry, Patrick Brough, Joel Dixon, Lewis Hardcastle, Sam Hird, Josh Kay, Morgan Penfold, Scott Quigley, John Rooney, Jason Taylor

Offered terms of re-engagement

Connor Brown, Jack Hindle

Released

Matt Elsdon, Josh Granite, Byron Harrison, Johnny Saltmer, Mark Waddington

Returned To Parent Clubs

Olly Dyson (Huddersfield Town), Dan Jones (Salford City), Matt Platt (Blackburn Rovers), Jamie Soule (West Bromwich Albion), Tom White (Blackburn Rovers), Jack Vale (Blackburn Rovers)