Cumbrians get their man

Nov 3 2009 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

CARLISLE United’s 12-month pursuit of Manchester City starlet Adam Clayton has finally borne fruit.

The England Under-20 midfielder, who was on the fringes of the City first team last year, has signed for the Cumbrians until January 2 – a full year after Greg Abbott first enquired about the combative youngster.

And the Carlisle manager is already delighted with the impact that the 20-year-old has had on his squad.

“I’m absolutely delighted to get Adam to Carlisle. I’ve been trying to get him to us for a year but we got knocked back by Manchester City last year because he was on the verge of getting into their team,” Abbott said.

“They really rate him at City. He’s just signed a new contract there but his way to the team is blocked by all the signings they have made and he needs to play some games at a decent level now.

“He trained with us on Monday and he really enjoyed it. You can see his ability and he’ll be a great asset for us.

“He is very similar to Paul Thirlwell in the way that he plays, and he definitely isn't shy when it comes to putting a tackle in. He also has a good range of passing, and we think he will fit in nicely with the way that we want to do things.”