The centre defender insists there are no hard feelings, but he was hoped to sign a longer contract at Holker Street.

“I wouldn’t say I was expecting it (being released), but look that’s football, ups and downs,” Ray remarked in an interview with BBC Cumbria.I had a terrific experience in Barrow, and I have nothing but positive things to say about it. I would have committed to stay for another season, but that’s just football, as I mentioned.

He also had a message for the fans of the Bluebirds.

“In football, you can never expect anything, and regrettably, Barrow has not extended a contract offer to me.

“Thanks for all of your support,” he continued. To be honest, I haven’t heard anything negative about any of the staff members, and I have truly enjoyed my two years there.

Ray acknowledged that the club’s failure to advance further in the League Two playoffs was frustrating.

“I’ve always given it my all every time I’ve played for Barrow, and our last two finishes in the last two seasons should make us proud as a club and as players,” he remarked.

“It was disappointing not to surpass the threshold with the situation we found ourselves in for the majority of the season this year.”

The 30-year-old stated that while he was unable to pinpoint the precise reason why Pete Wild’s guys were having difficulties, he still thought the overall situation was favourable.

“We believed we could have succeeded,” he remarked. Collectively, we were somewhat disappointed with the outcome.

“You need to make an effort to see the bright side of things. Overall, the season has been good, despite a subpar finish. A subpar last month that failed to push us over the edge.

Sometimes it’s difficult to put a finger on something. Simply put, you get into a rut. Clubs experience these phases during the season. Ours most likely arrived at the incorrect hour and lasted a little too long.

“As a team and a club, we were disappointed, but I’m not sure where it went wrong.”

Ray thinks Barrow can only go higher, even though they didn’t make it to the playoffs this time around. He also hopes they can do even better the next year.

He continued, saying, “Barrow has only been back in the football league for a few years, so the club is on an upward trajectory, and I hope it carries on.”

“Hopefully, they add new players and pick up steam in the upcoming season.

“My warmest wishes are with Barrow. I hope they continue and make it to the playoffs the following season. The past two years have seen it look excellent, so maybe they can continue, make it to the playoffs, and improve.

The player says that nothing has been said about his own future as of yet.

“It’s really not easy,” he remarked. “Obviously, I would like to have something sorted out since I have a kid due in ten weeks, but I have some experience with this as I have been in this situation previously.

“Let’s just see what turns up. Which is better for me, which is better for the family and we’ll just crack on from there.”

One of Ray’s favourite memories of his time with the Bluebirds, he stated, was scoring against Bradford City. He also mentioned making some wonderful friends and creating memories.

“My favourite moment at Barrow is probably going to Bradford, seeing a big crowd, scoring the winning goal late in the game, and celebrating with all the fans,” he remarked.

“The boys were outstandingly wonderful. When you leave a club, you don’t generally remain in touch with many people, but I will most definitely be keeping in touch with a large number of them.

Yes, it’s true—I’ll miss the dressing room and that, but that’s just football. You will eventually move on to new dressing rooms and forget about it all.