Jacob Blyth admits there were times during his long absence from competitive football where he wondered whether he would ever make it back on the pitch, as he looks to make up for lost time at Barrow AFC.

The 26-year-old striker went 19 months without starting a match before finally making his full debut for the Bluebirds in the 2-0 victory at Aldershot Town last Saturday.

He was brought back into the game by manager Ian Evatt when he arrived at Holker Street in June, having gone the whole of last season without a club after being released by Motherwell, where he suffered from a range of injuries.

Blyth wasn’t helped by a dislocated shoulder suffered in AFC’s first pre-season friendly, nor by an unspecified injury that kept him out for a further month, but it’s starting to feel like has Barrow career has well and truly started.

Blyth said: “There’s nothing worse when you’re a professional footballer and you miss 19 months of football.

“You love it, you play it day in, day out and to be out for that long is horrible, I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone, so be back out there is amazing.

“You do have your doubts and you do think ‘will I ever get back out there’ but the gaffer gave me a call in the summer, he’s put his faith in me and all I want to do now is repay that faith.

“I knew the manager because I went into train with Chesterfield last season to get some fitness and he just gave me a call in the summer to come here, which I’ll always be grateful for.”

The most promising sign so far has been how well Blyth has linked up with top scorer Tyler Smith, who looks to be enjoying having a proper strike partner in the new formation that has been fielded by Evatt in the last two matches.

“We’ve got a nice little partnership at the minute,” Blyth said, adding: “There’s lads ready to come off the bench, with the likes of Jack Hindle there to keep us on our toes.

“We’d like to get a little partnership going – the famous ‘big man, little man.’”