Carlisle sign midfielder Patching from Derry City

Carlisle United have signed midfielder Will Patching from Irish side Derry City on a two-and-a-half-year contract.

The 26-year-old, who came up through the Manchester City academy system, is a former England youth international.

He has scored 35 goals in 130 appearances since initially joining Derry on loan in 2021 from League of Ireland Premier Division side Dundalk.

Patching also spent a season at Notts County following his release by Manchester City in the summer of 2018.

"Will is a really exciting signing, he brings experience and a technical quality that will improve us," head coach Mike Williamson told the club website.

"He brings a skillset that will get fans excited, we just need to manage him over these next few weeks and almost get another pre-season into him to make sure he's ready to go.

"He's been finished his season in Ireland for over a month, so we'll need to do some work with him to get him back up to speed.

"We've managed to beat off competition from a number of other clubs to get him in with us so we're delighted."