STUART McCall insists he was never going to let Stephen Darby leave City in the transfer window.

Phil Parkinson asked about taking his former skipper to Bolton when the clubs were discussing the possibility of Jamie Proctor returning to Valley Parade.

But McCall made it clear that Darby was never going to be part of the equation. The Bantams boss said: "There was an inquiry made to the club about Stephen. It was a non-goer.

"We decided we've lost experience in this window, (Nathan) Clarke, (James) Hanson, (Matt) Kilgallon and (Filipe) Morais. We couldn't lose another experienced player who is a vital member of our squad.

"We've lost a few lads with play-off experience and we couldn't afford to lose any more, even though we're really pleased with the people we've brought in. They are all younger and potentially very good players going forward."

Proctor instead signed on loan for Carlisle as the League Two club looked to fill the gap left by Charlie Wyke's £250,000 switch to the Bantams.

Parkinson confirmed that he did look to recruit Darby, who was one of his loyal lieutenants during nearly five years at the Valley Parade helm.

The Bolton manager, who also signed free agent Morais on Thursday, said: "There was truth in the story. The two chairmen had a chat on Sunday and we are looking for cover for (right back) Lawrie Wilson because Lewis Buxton isn't fit yet and we're concerned when that will happen.

"When they asked the question about Jamie, we asked one about Stephen Darby.

"Personally, I didn't want to let Proccy go to a rival, but it was a deal that could have been done because both players were very happy with it. It didn't materialise, so we move on."

That was the only player inquiry City fielded after James Hanson's move to Sheffield United. Despite the rumours surrounding James Meredith, nobody tested the water with the in-form left back.

McCall said: "There was a lot of talk but we had two calls for Hans (Sheffield United and Burton) and one inquiry for Darbs but no bid. There was nothing for Mezza and we're happy about that.

"You just want to get to when the window shuts and be in a strong position. We feel we are and we can get on with what we've got. We're all focused now on what we want to achieve in the rest of the season."