Mellon content to stay put and help lift struggling Barnsley

The West Country side had pinpointed Mellon as the man they wanted to replace Dave Hockaday, having seen the job he did in aiding Fleetwood through the divisions and into the Football League.

The second contact was made as recently as Tuesday, but Mellon has confirmed he is staying at Oakwell, despite being flattered by the interest.

He said: “Barnsley had two approaches, but the club turned them down twice because they want to keep me.

“So I am happy to stay at Barnsley as long as they want me because the Championship is where I want to be.

“(But) I am delighted that there are people who think I can do a job and saw what I achieved at Fleetwood.”

Reds chief David Flitcroft has revealed he is happy for Under-21 players John Cofie, Reuben Noble-Lazarus and Andrai Jones to head out of the club on loan, to further their development.

Flitcroft, who also revealed Luke Steele is behind schedule in his rehabilitation from a back problem, said: “We have spoke to John, Andrai and Reuben and I’d definitely look at it, if it was to the right mentor and right teams, for them to go out and play games.

“The Under-21s isn’t really giving them that stimulus, so loans are something that, as a football club and structure, we are looking to do.

“But only as part of their development process.”

Tranmere Rovers manager Ronnie Moore is keen to extend defender Jim McNulty’s loan spell at Prenton Park.

The centre-back’s initial month’s loan ends after Rovers’ game at Preston at the weekend, with Flitcroft open to him staying on the Wirral.

He said: “Tranmere want to expect Nults’s loan, so we’ll be looking to do that. We will have a 24-hour recall in the second month, which is always flexible.”

“We do enjoy players playing in a rhythm, knowing that we can get them back at the drop of a phone call.”