Barrow are in talks with Torquay United about the immediate future of veteran defender Mark Ellis.
The 34-year-old has been on an initial month-long deal from the Bluebirds and Torquay boss Gary Johnson wants to extend that.
Ellis actually played at Plainmoor from 2007 to 2012 and also played 60 games for Carlisle United.
He has only played 16 games for Barrow and while with the Bluebirds has already spent time on loan with Solihull Moors.
Since Ellis joined the Gulls defence they are unbeaten in their past three games, and that included a 2-2 draw with League One side Derby County in the FA Cup.
Ellis was part of the Torquay side that reached the fourth round of the FA Cup in 2011 and played in the 2012 League Two play-offs, when Torquay lost out in the semi-finals to Cheltenham.
Johnson said: “Mark has been a very important player for us because people trust him.
“He reads the game so well and that’s the main thing he has brought to us.
“We’d like him to stay, but he’s got a family that are up north so we’re having to manage that as well.
“There were a few clubs who were interested in taking him, which he’d turned down previously because he wanted to be somewhere that was comfortable for him,”
“Now we’ve just got to carry on the talks with Barrow and see if we can keep him for longer.”
