DEPARTED Barrow AFC captain Danny Livesey found himself in a dark place after his surprise axing by the Bluebirds.

But the 32-year-old defensive rock is already bouncing back, having signed a two-year deal with National League North Salford.

Salford were among a number of clubs circling the ex-AFC defender, following his shock release from Holker Street.

He was one of five men not offered new contracts by Barrow when the retained and released lists were published last week – the others being Shaun Beeley, Andy Coughlin, Inih Effiong and Lindon Meikle.

His departure met with stunned reactions from Bluebirds supporters – and more than mild surprise from Livesey himself – but the ex-captain was quick to have a deal sorted with Salford following three seasons in South Cumbria.

“Of course it caught me by surprise,” said Livesey of his AFC exit, having led the team to the National League North title in 2014/15, before being at the heart of the defence in the National League for the past two seasons. “You kind of get a feeling throughout the season if you're in trouble – you know if you've had a bad season and you might not be offered anything.

“But after the season I had, where I felt I had been fairly consistent – and the awards speak for themselves about what sort of season I had – then I was expecting something.

“It did come as a little bit of a surprise, but that's what happens in football, and you just get on with it, you go somewhere else and you just have to try and sort something out.”

He added: “I had a couple of clubs to talk to, and I had a lot of interest. I've been overwhelmed by all the interest I've had – there must be a lot of people in the game who rate me, who I didn't realise did. They must have been watching the Barrow games.

“That has been pleasing. That has got me out of a little bit of a dark place when I was feeling down. To realise there are these people who want you to go and play for their football club, that picks you up a little bit.

“There were a couple of clubs in the same league and a couple a lower who were interested, a bit of everything.”

While disappointed to see his time at Barrow come to an end, less than two weeks after he collected five player-of-the-year awards at the club's end-of-season presentation night, Livesey has been pleased with the reaction of his now former team-mates.

They have showed support and appreciation for his time at AFC, and the former Carlisle United man said: “It's a shame it ended the way it did, but that's how it goes.

“The pleasing thing is, I put on the (players' WhatsApp) group that I had been let go, and they all put 'chin-up' and 'all the best'. But then, pretty much every single one of them sent me a text separately saying thanks for the help over the two years. That has meant a lot to me – they appreciate and acknowledge me. That was quite touching for me, that the lads have appreciated what I have tried to do for them as much as what I have tried to do for myself.”