Vauxhall Motors chairman Alan Bartlam has warned Conference North rivals Barrow he does not want to see Carl Macauley leave Rivacre Park.

Macauley has guided Motors to ninth in the league, despite modest resources, and has emerged as one of the leading candidates to replace Dave Bayliss, who parted company with Barrow after five years in charge.

As a player, Macauley spent three years with the Bluebirds, making 97 appearances and remains a popular figure with supporters.

The 43-year-old has ruled out applying for the job and insists he is happy managing the Motormen, but conceded he would be open to an approach from the Cumbrian club.

“I’ll always listen to offers and I’ll always gladly sit down and talk to people.

“They know where I am and I can always talk to them and see what happens from there,” he said.

Motors chairman Bartlam said the club had not yet received any request from Barrow for permission to speak to Macauley – and would not welcome one.

“I can categorically say that we have not had an approach from Barrow for Carl and I would not relish an approach,” he said.

“We obviously rate Carl very highly and in our opinion he should be the manager of the year, every year.

“I cannot speak highly enough of him.”

Barrow were relegated from the Conference Premier last season but have struggled this term and are currently in the lower reaches of the league.

Despite his interest in the role, Macauley said he would not be applying for the vacant manager’s job before the deadline on Friday.

He said: “I just think that if someone wants you, they know where you are so they can drop you, or the club, a phone call.”

Macauley managed Motors for five years before stepping down in May 2011 but returned to the role six months later.

He has been in charge ever since and has been widely praised for his achievements on limited resources, guiding the Rivacre Park club to a 12th-placed finish last season.

However, Macauley said he had ambitions to progress.

“As a manager you always look to develop yourself and you always want to go to the bigger clubs,” he said.

“I’m quite happy with Vauxhall Motors at the moment, I’ve been doing a good job with a good group of boys.

“The chairman is brilliant, I’ve got a great relationship with him.

“He’s always said to me that I should push myself, which I always try to do – I’m always working hard on the training ground.”

Should an approach be made, Bartlam said he would need to sit down with Motors officials and Macauley to see how the club responded.