SCOTT BARROW may no longer be a York City player, but he will always be a York City supporter.

Barrow’s time as a York player has come to an end after the club announced their retained list for the 2023/24 season, with manager Adam Hinshelwood opting to not extend the contract of the City stalwart.

In a tear-jerking interview with BBC Radio York, the York defender spoke on his emotional comeback from injury, the support of the football club throughout his recovery and a memorable promotion campaign which saw City return to the Vanarama National League after four seasons in the sixth tier.

“I’m a York City fan, it’s a club that has played a big part in my life and in my family’s life as well,” Barrow told BBC York.

“I’ll always be a fan, a massive fan, and it’s the same as Gateshead. Hopefully I can come to a few games next year and support the boys, York will always be in my heart.

“We had the promotion and they always looked after me when I was injured.

“Not a lot of clubs do that, and for that I am very grateful. I wouldn’t be here now playing football if it wasn’t for the club and their physio staff.

“It was extremely tough, I haven’t really spoke about it a lot during my injury because I didn’t think that it would ever affect me.

“I had been through two injuries before, so I don’t know why this one took its toll on me a little bit.

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“Maybe it’s because of my age and not playing football again, or being in an environment where I’m still at a football clubs because previous clubs I had been at had not been a football club, I had just been doing my rehab at home.”

Barrow went on to credit the support of the City staff, and in particular former manager John Askey, who aided the 35-year-old in his long-term recovery.

“When I was injured the club were unbelievable, from getting offered a two year deal after the play-offs in my situation, then to get injured and for John [Askey, former York manager] to tell me ‘don’t worry, I’ll look after you’, and he stuck to his words.

“Him and Jason McGill looked after me and gave me a year’s deal just to get me through the rehab.

“John Askey was unbelievable, it’s kind of weird because from Monday to Friday he didn’t really check in with me whatsoever, his aim was to make sure the team were alright and prepared for the game on Saturday or Tuesday.

“But when it came to Saturday, he’d ask me to help out and be a kitman or assistant kitman for a couple of games.

“From them I sort of had a role on the bench because I said something one game and he liked what I said, I used to just set the cones up and watch the games.

“He’d sit next to me all of the time and ask ‘how are you’ or ‘are you okay’, ‘how’s your rehab gone this week’, it was the same thing every weekend.

“That meant a lot to me, more than being a kitman because it just showed that he cared, he really cared. It changed a little bit when he left, it did change a lot because a new manager coming in doesn’t know who you are.

“I remember when David Webb came in, he didn’t have a clue who I was, interviewed myself and I walked away and he said ‘who’s that?’.

“I was shocked by it, but I had that role then to step in as assistant manager when David Webb was ill, extremely ill, so I had to help Mikey [Morton, former manager] and Mikey didn’t really know the players a lot at that time.

“I think those two games, Woking and Blyth, then Webby left and we had the Southend game which got me feeling a little bit better in myself.

“For Mikey, Macca [Tony McMahon, first team coach] and Joe [Stead, goalkeeping coach] to put their arm around me and support me through my rehab still whilst I was still being assistant manager was great.

“They wanted me to focus on my off-the-field stuff with the analysis, it was something I really enjoyed.

“I can’t help but thank John, Macca, all of them, the club, the fans, they all looked after me when I went through the toughest time of my career.”

Barrow starred in a coaching role alongside Morton in the back end of last season, and played a pivotal part in York’s avoidance of relegation.

The defender discussed what it was like moving from a playing role into a coaching set-up, as well as his pride in keeping the Minstermen afloat.

Barrow stated: “To be on the sideline, which for me was a step closer than playing a game, because for 90 minutes I knew how good the team was.

“We had a fantastic start to the season and had a bit of a blip, everyone has a bit of a blip during the season, but I knew what was expected of each player.

“I had been around them all and I had played with the majority of them at different clubs and at York, so I knew what was expected.

“I put my stamp on that game [2-0 vs Southend United] a little bit with Mikey, the game plan worked and in the first-half of that day we were solid, compact and we should have gone in two or three nil up at half-time.

“At half-time they were disappointed, but we just said to stay the same, nothing changes in football if it’s nil-nil.

“We got our set-piece goal and our goal in the end, which was fully deserved because we played Southend a week beforehand and we were awful.

“It wasn’t the York I know, it isn’t the York the fans know so we both just wanted to give back to the fans that travelled that day to show that York City are a good side, and we did.

“The joys of that day, the celebrations from myself, I was jumping up and down on that touchline and was like a big kid!

“It’s something that has got me through the rehab side so that I had a bit more focus not just on my rehab or on my knee, but on the club staying up.

“It’s something I’m very proud of, to keep this club up in the league.”