BARROW AFC head coach Stephen Clemence is delighted with the business the club have done so far this summer.
The Bluebirds have brought in five new faces ahead of the 2024/25 campaign – Connor Mahoney, Katia Kouyate, Wyll Stanway, Sam Barnes and Andrew Dallas (on loan).
And while it wasn’t easy, Clemence told BBC Radio Cumbria that he believes the recruitment has gone well.
He said: “We’ve had to work hard on one or two of them. There was a lot of competition for their signatures, and we’re just delighted that they decided to join us.
“Obviously I was delighted to get back working with Connor Mahoney again (Mahoney played under Clemence on loan at Gillingham last season).
“He had a lot of interest let me tell you.
“Thankfully he’s decided to come and play with me again, and I think the location where he actually lives in Blackburn has helped as well, I’m not going to lie.
“That was a really good one for me.”
Clemence revealed that he was so eager to link up with Mahoney again that he started working on the player very early.
He added: ““I’m fortunate where I’ve got a good relationship with Connor. I felt I had a good relationship with all my players when I was at Gillingham.
“And as soon as I got the call from Barrow, before I actually knew I had the job, I started working on that one straight away.
“He was somebody that I really, really wanted. I obviously knew he was out of contract at Huddersfield and was going to be a free agent, and I also knew there was a lot of interest for him.
“So, I went to work on that one straight away. As I say it wasn’t easy, but we were probably speaking two or three times a week. Facetimes and Zooms or whatever you call them and thankfully he decided to come back and play for me again.
“Obviously, he’s looking forward to it, and I know what he can bring to this football club, and I think he’s a player that the supporters should be excited to watch.”
But it isn’t just Mahoney, Clemence is happy to have on board.
He said: “Sam Barnes has got huge potential. Katia’s coming in from Everton. It’s his first chance of coming to the EFL but we believe he’s got bags of potential.
“Wyll signed earlier in the window, and obviously we got Andrew Dallas over the line.
“Andy’s somebody that has scored goals pretty much all through his career until last season.
“Now last year he had a bit of a quieter season, and he knows that, and he’s chomping at the bit to come and do his best for the club.
“He gives me good competition for places in the forward areas, we’ve got four players currently in those positions and it will be good for them to have that competition.”
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