Manager Ian Evatt believes he has not just brought back a familiar face to Barrow AFC in Dan Jones, but some fresh legs as well during the run-in of the National League season.

After leaving last summer, Jones is back with the Bluebirds on loan until the end of the campaign from Salford City, where he struggled for game time, making just six appearances, with half of those coming in the Leasing.com Trophy.

Evatt knows what he'll be getting from the 25-year-old, who was one of his best performers after being converted from left-back to centre-back during his first year in charge at Holker Street.

Most crucially, Jones, who will be available for Saturday's home game against Dagenham & Redbridge, provides an extra option in AFC's back three, which has contained players playing out of position at times due to injuries.

His arrival comes at a good time for Evatt, who is eyeing up one further signing, as Barrow have suffered back-to-back defeats against Dover, in the league, and Barnet, in the FA Trophy.

Evatt said: "Dan can play on the left and he can play in the middle. Again, it just adds competition.

"We are a team that are trying to win the league and for a long time we were trying to look after the club's pennies as best we can and try not to overspend.

"However, I felt with the last 13 games and us having a lot of games over a short space of time we were looking a bit fatigued and tired.

"We're a small squad and we needed a bit competition for places, so obviously bringing Dan in is huge for us and hopefully we can get a centre forward in at some point this week.

"We're trying very hard with a couple and we'll see how that pays off."

Evatt believes Jones needs a bit of time to get back up to speed with his squad, although he is impressed with how sharp he looks in training in spite of his lack of game time this year.

The England C international was a big reason why the Bluebirds playing three at the back was successful when implemented last season, which means he should have no trouble in fitting into Evatt's preferred 3-4-1-2 formation.

Evatt said: "We've got three centre-halves who play in our back three and if one of those gets injured we were having to put square pegs in round holes, in terms of putting Connor Brown or Jason Taylor back there.

"It wasn't really a natural fit, as well as they've done back there, so it obviously helps us, with Josh Granite being injured for so long as well, that we've got an option with Dan that can fit seemlessly into our formation."